Sunday, November 7, 2010

Lost furniture leads to crashes on Highway 29



Lost furniture leads to crashes on Highway 29

By Jeff Starck • Wausau Daily Herald • November 5, 2010





The State Patrol received reports from the Marathon County Sheriff's Department and several motorists at about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday that shards of wood and broken glass were strewn across the westbound lanes of Highway 29 near the Business Highway 51 exit in Rothschild.

The driver of a tractor-trailer and a 16-person passenger van each hit mattresses in the roadway, and the two vehicles collided, State Patrol trooper Curt Tomkowiak said Thursday. One of the mattresses became tangled in the tractor-trailer's drive shaft, and the truck had to be towed from the scene, he said.

The driver of a minivan braked abruptly to avoid the stopped tractor-trailer and passenger van in the roadway, and was rear-ended by a pickup, Tomkowiak said.

No one was hurt in the two crashes, police said.

Tomkowiak, who was one of the officers who responded to the scene, said he couldn't identify what other furniture might have fallen on the road because the debris was either obliterated by passing vehicles or had been cleaned up.

Meanwhile, the owner of the mattresses remains unknown. No one who was involved in or witnessed the crash saw the vehicle that lost its load, Tomkowiak said.

Westbound traffic on Highway 29 was stopped or limited to one lane for about two hours Wednesday while the debris and vehicles were cleared away.

Anyone with information about the driver who lost the furniture should call the State Patrol at 715-845-1143.

Twin box spring causes double trouble for Elkhart County motorist


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Horses Tossed From Trailer Onto Route 7



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSsXqFo1fVo


Thursday November 4, 2010

Horses Tossed From Trailer Onto Route 7



A trailer overturned in Jefferson County and tossed two horses onto State Route 7 near the Pottery Addition entrance ramp, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The vehicle was traveling south when the trailer that was hauling the horses became unhitched, according to OSHP.The owners called a veterinarian Dr. Eric Bruns, who also responded to the scene to treat the animals.Bruns said he sedated the animals and treated them for abrasions.

"I had to clean one of them. He had a tree branch stuck into him, but they're animals, they'll both be all right. I'm pretty sure," said Bruns.

Troopers said the situation could have turned out worse."They were lucky that they landed on the ramp here. There's not a lot of traffic on this ramp, " said Sgt. Jeff Bernard.Troopers said they are trying to determine how the trailer became unhitched.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Trailers, negligence: A lethal combination in Chatham County Authorities urge safety in wake of recent wrecks, including fatal crash on I-16 Posted: S





Trailers, negligence: A lethal combination in Chatham County

Authorities urge safety in wake of recent wrecks, including fatal crash on I-16

Posted: September 7, 2010 - 12:19am | Updated: September 7, 2010 - 7:53am

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Giovanna Rosenfeld was traveling west from Savannah on Interstate 16, having just celebrated her birthday with her husband and teenage daughter.

As the three reached the exit for Bloomingdale Road, entering the desolate stretch to Macon, a frightening sequence unfolded before their eyes.

"I was about three cars behind the man on the motorcycle, and I just saw a trailer come across the median at a 45-degree angle," recalled Rosenfeld, 41, an Atlanta resident. "It was going fast. He flew up in the air. I saw his motorcycle go in one direction, and the trailer continue on its original path.

"It was just surreal."

The motorcyclist, 36-year-old Carroll Girtman, was killed by that impact July 11. Gerald Adams, 66, who was hauling the trailer that hurtled into oncoming traffic, was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and operating an unsafe vehicle.

Such circumstances might seem improbable, but the incident, local police say, underscores the need - or obligation - to safely secure trailers and their contents before hitting the highway.

"A lot of people I encounter only care about getting their stuff from point A to point B - if it comes off, it comes off," said Advanced Police Officer Brad Beddow, a Savannah-Chatham police motor vehicle investigator. "If we believe that the load is unsecured, we're going to stop you and cite you."

He added: "We're not going to wait for that load to fall off or cause a wreck before we write you a ticket."

Safety chains urged

Regulations for commercial haulers are stricter than those for regular folks who, for instance, tow yard debris or furniture across town on the weekend.

Yet those private cargos are no less dangerous, Beddow said.

"Most of the things I see are brakes that are disconnected, lights that don't work, tire problems, or (the trailers) aren't tagged," said Beddow, one of two metro officers certified by the Georgia Department of Public Safety to inspect commercial vehicles and issue safety citations. "And it's good practice - if you have safety chains on your trailer, regardless if you're a commercial enterprise or private person, they need to be hooked up and crossed."

Crossing the chains, he said, prevents the trailer tongue from striking the roadway if the trailer becomes unhitched or from swinging wildly if a tire blows.

Tickets issued

As of mid-June, metro police had issued 22 unsecured-load citations, according to department statistics.

In a more recent case, police responded July 26 to Skidaway Road, south of Norwood Avenue, after a small trailer became unhitched from a Chrysler Town & Country van.

The errant trailer struck another van, injuring five occupants. A six-seat golf cart also flew off the trailer and plunged into a roadside ditch.

"It was just flipping in the air," Tyler Samad, a passenger in the Town & Country, said shortly after the wreck. "I was worried about what it was going to hit. I saw cars coming."

The driver, Samad's grandfather John Blitch, said the hitch had just been installed by a company, apparently without due care.

"It looks like the pin came off the trailer hitch," said Blitch, who was cited for hauling an unsecured load.

'Driver's responsibility'

Pooler police Maj. Mark Revenew said anyone with a large load should employ an electric braking system, connected to the hitch by a small steel cable.

"If it becomes unhitched," he said, "it automatically activates the brakes on the trailer."

Beddow said a braking system is required for vehicles with a gross weight between 3,000 and 12,000 pounds. For vehicles topping that maximum, brakes are required on each axle.

Revenew said other issues police encounter include improper maintenance and inadequate safety equipment, like the safety chains.

"If a tire fails on a trailer, it becomes its own vehicle, fishtailing around," Revenew said. "The safety chains prevent it from detaching."

Georgia State Patrol Cpl. Tommy Barron noted loose items should be covered by tarps. Most of the problems, he added, arise when someone is borrowing a trailer or unfamiliar with attaching one.

"Obviously it's a driver's responsibility, before they put any vehicle on the roadway, to make sure it's safe and secure," Barron said. "Whether they're going to the landfill or just moving furniture across town."

Before the fatal wreck on I-16, Rosenfeld said, her family had planned to purchase a jet ski.

Not any more, for fear of a similar accident.

"Before that, I honestly never really thought of somebody's trailer coming loose," she said. "It makes you aware of something that you previously didn't give much thought to."

Editorial: Traffic laws can prevent tragedies And Our Letter To The Editor



Editorial: Traffic laws can prevent tragedies

5 Comments | Leave a Comment

The thunderstorm that pushed across Pitt County on Thursday brought spells of heavy rainfall, making the morning commute for local drivers a bit more treacherous. While all motorists used their wipers for a clear view, few switched on their headlights as mandated by state law, a requirement intended to make vehicles more visible in inclement weather.

That represents one casual bit of illegal behavior repeated incessantly on area roadways, but another example of habits that can endanger others and contribute to accidents could prove responsible for a fatality. Drivers in eastern North Carolina should do better by one another by adhering to proper practices, just as law enforcement should strive to improve road safety whenever they can.

Tragedy visited Pitt County on Tuesday when a truck moving north on N.C. 43 had its trailer unhinge and collide with an SUV traveling south. Lisa Langemann, a 27-year-old teacher at Bethel Elementary School, was killed in the accident, and her two daughters in the car were injured. The ensuing investigation found that the trailer was homemade and lacked the safety cables and chains required by state law. The other driver has been charged in Langemann's death.

Motorists in Pitt County are likely to have seen such trailers countless times in their travels. Though they must be inspected by the Department of Transportation or the N.C. Highway Patrol, it is not a leap to question how many who use such equipment are even aware that is the case. It means accidents like this one, a wreck that claimed a young life, are more likely than the average motorist might consider.

Safety on area roadways can sometimes seem like a gamble. Narrow roadways with an abundance of traffic and the occasional piece of farm equipment can all contribute to unpredictability when driving. Factor in drivers' unsafe behavior — speeding, eating, talking on cell phones and other distractions — and it is little wonder that AAA Carolinas ranked Pitt County tops in the state for accidents in 2008.

Motorists must accept more responsibility for their habits behind the wheel by learning state laws and following them. Their repeated refusal to do so should inspire area law enforcement to provide additional encouragement through more rigorous ticketing for moving violations. Even the little things — like using the headlights during downpours — can bolster safety on area roadways. That, in turn, could prevent an accident and even save a life.




Our Letter That Was Published!

Letter: Stricter standards for trailers

6 Comments | Leave a Comment


I read with interest the Oct. 18 editorial, “Traffic laws can prevent tragedies,” which referenced the tragic loss of a mom, wife and teacher due to a loose utility trailer. This accident was totally preventable had we had an inspection and safety standards for trailers under 3,000 gross vehicle weight rating.

Please note the reason these trailers are not getting pulled over is because the way the law is currently written it is a secondary offense and not a primary. An offender must be committing an offense, like running a stop sign. Then the officer can provide a ticket for not having safety chains.

The clearest example I can provide of the magnitude of the infraction is the following: Would you secure your own child in a child safety seat without using the seat belt, improper level and homemade? In this example, do we allow people to make homemade child safety seats? I ask then why is the person behind you any less important than your own child?

In closing, the Dangerous Trailers Web site has been addressing the total lack of safety standards, quality and training on passenger cars that tow trailers for more than eight years. We have documentation from the highest level of our government and yet nothing on a national level has been done. We know what needs to be done and I am willing to help. We just need the support.

RON J. MELANCON

Glen Allen, Va.

Cautionary evacuation on Highway 221



Cautionary evacuation on Highway 221

Last Updated: October 25, 2010 7:59am


Several homes in the Meadows area were evacuated Sunday after a trailer filled with anhydrous ammonia went into a ditch.

RCMP said emergency crews were called to the scene on Highway 221 northwest of Winnipeg about noon. The trailer, being hauled by a pickup truck, came loose and went into a ditch, police said.

Const. Miles Hiebert, a spokesman for Manitoba RCMP, said the trailer turned over but didn’t leak.

Traffic in the vicinity was shut down and approximately 10 area homes were evacuated as a precaution. The ammonia was pumped into another trailer and the highway re-opened to traffic before 5 p.m.

Highway 108 Accident Causes Minor Injuries


Twain Harte, CA-- A Twain Harte man suffered minor injuries in a vehicle accident this morning on Highway 108 east of Twain Harte Drive.

27 year old Ryan Holden of Twain Harte was a passenger in a 1999 International truck driven by 38 year old Long Barn resident Shayne Darr when the accident occurred. The truck had been towing a Trail Max trailer when the trailer reportedly separated from the truck. The trailer then crossed both lanes of the roadway and struck a dirt embankment north of Highway 108.

The driver of the truck, Darr, stopped his truck on the asphalt shoulder but then noticed the trailer starting to roll backward toward him. Darr advised his passenger Holden to exit the truck and that's when Holden lost his footing on the loose dirt embankment. The rear of the trailer then struck the front fender of the truck and pushed the truck onto Holden's right leg. After the collision, Darr was able to free Holden's leg from the front fender. Holden was transported to Sonora Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com

Seward girl, 10, killed after horse trailer breaks loose



Seward girl, 10, killed after horse trailer breaks loose

By CORY MATTESON / Lincoln Journal Star JournalStar.com | Posted: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 4:00 pm | (20) Comments

A fifth-grader at Seward Middle School died Monday afternoon after a horse trailer came loose from a pickup and hit the car she was riding in. Her 9-year-old brother was critically injured.

Kasey Cox, 10, was pronounced dead after she was taken by helicopter to BryanLGH Medical Center West from the crash site northwest of the Lincoln Airport.

Korbin Cox, a fourth-grader, was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition Monday.

Their father, Keith Cox, who was driving the car, is a staff sergeant with Detachment 2 of 165th Quartermaster Company in Seward, where the family resides.

"Obviously it's a tragedy, and we always support soldiers that have tragedies in their life," Nebraska Army National Guard spokesman David Nore said Tuesday.

Investigators still are piecing together what caused the trailer being towed by Danna Seevers, 43, also of Seward, to come loose Monday afternoon.

The trailer crossed U.S. 34 and collided with the eastbound Chevrolet Cobalt being driven by Cox, 39.

Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said Tuesday that a preliminary interview with Seevers indicated that safety chains were in place on the trailer. Collins said the investigation into the crash, which took place at 3:50 p.m. a mile west of the junction of U.S. 34 and Nebraska 79, is ongoing.

The impact of the nearly head-on collision sent the Cobalt into a ditch, where it rolled.

A wounded horse in the trailer was euthanized.

No members of the Cox family were wearing seat belts, Collins said.

Keith Cox was hospitalized Monday with non-life-threatening injuries. An update on his son's condition was not available Tuesday.

The family, through a BryanLGH spokeswoman, issued a brief statement Tuesday.

"The Keith Cox family requests their privacy be respected during this extremely difficult time," it read.

Seevers, who was driving the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado towing the trailer westbound on U.S. 34, could not be reached Tuesday.

Seward Public Schools Superintendent Greg Barnes said students went home Tuesday with notes to their parents notifying them of the crash. A message titled "Crisis Information for Parents" was also added to the Seward Public Schools website.

Barnes said he learned of the crash Tuesday morning, just as classes began.

"It's been a long day in middle school for Kasey's class," he said Tuesday afternoon.

Grief counseling was provided for teachers and students at both Seward Middle School and Seward Elementary School, which Korbin attends.

"We'll provide support throughout," Barnes said. "As much as needed."

Reach Cory Matteson at 402-473-7438 or cmatteson@journalstar.com.

Trailer detaching from pickup truck cause of Thursday’s accident on K-10


Trailer detaching from pickup truck cause of Thursday’s accident on K-10


October 22, 2010

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office said a trailer that dislodged from a pickup truck caused an accident Thursday night on Kansas Highway 10 near Eudora.

Sgt. Steve Lewis, sheriff’s spokesman, said a trailer came loose from an eastbound GMC pickup truck about 8:20 p.m. The trailer crossed the highway’s median and entered the westbound lanes.

Briana Arensberg, 22 of Lawrence, was driving westbound in a 2006 Mitsubishi. The trailer struck her vehicle, which tipped over onto its driver’s side.

Lewis said Arensberg was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital with an arm injury. An LMH spokeswoman said Arensberg had been treated and released.

The pickup’s driver, Eric Dove, 46 of Linwood, was not injured. Lewis said no citations were listed on the report Friday but that the report was not yet complete.

Runaway Trailer Crashes On I-75






Runaway Trailer Crashes On I-75


A mud racing team traveling through the metro Atlanta area said they are hoping they can get to their final destination after their trailer broke loose on Interstate 75.The St. Louis group said the trailer somehow detached from their RV and drifted into traffic on I-75 near Gresham Road.Those on board the RV said they noticed sparks flying from the back-up camera monitor. PHOTOS: Runaway Trailer On I-75 Crashes

“The trailer came off the RV there, following us down the road at about 75 miles an hour, then it took out the telephone pole over there and put a big hole in the trailer,” said Dustin Strong.The St. Louis natives said they hoped they would still make it to the mud race in Florida.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Do it right, or risk killling someone Trailer Life...Loose Trailer




Trailer Life

Posted August 2 2010 11:49 AM by Mr8Lug
Filed under: Editorials, Dodge, Editor's Blog


How many times do people have to tell you to be careful when trailering? Remember this picture. Kevin Busta is lucky to be alive after someone didn’t respect the damage a loose trailer can cause. Someone decided that it would be “good enough” to use a 1 7/8-inch ball on a 2 5/16-inch hitch and then didn’t bother to hook up the safety chains. Maybe the trailer didn’t even have safety chains at all. When the trailer (predictably) came loose it shot across three lanes of highway and into oncoming traffic, directly in Kevin’s path.

Kevin hit the trailer head-on at 60 mph and his Dodge flipped end-over-end seven times, coming to rest 262 feet down the road. Kevin was airlifted to the hospital and was lucky to survive. He’s fine now, but let this horrific crash be a reminder that you can’t take trailering lightly. Thanks to Sina Norris for the photo.

Rollover on I-17 delays northbound traffic




Marc Buckhout/The Foothills
A rollover accident, at mile marker 231, involving an SUV towing an RV shutdown northbound I-17 traffic just after noon on Oct. 13. No one was injured in the accident, which caused traffic to be diverted off the freeway at Anthem Way.




Rollover on I-17 delays northbound traffic
Staff Report ~ 10/20/2010

A one vehicle accident, just north of Anthem, involving an SUV towing an RV caused a shutdown of northbound I-17 shortly after noon on Oct. 13.
Daisy Mountain Fire Department Public Information Officer Dave Wilson said that none of the four passengers or the driver of the vehicle were injured in the accident. All five had climbed out of the vehicle by the time paramedics arrived on scene. After getting a cursory exam all five refused further treatment.

The rollover accident, at approximately mile marker 231, one mile south of New River, cut off both northbound lanes of traffic causing a four-mile backup. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Department of Public Safety officials diverted traffic off the freeway at mile marker 229. Traffic congestion was further complicated by multiple fender benders south bound shortly after the initial accident.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Trailer containing liquid spills over, blocks two lanes on I-40 E




WBIR.com Updated: 9/16/2010 4:54:12 PM Posted: 9/16/2010 4:52:48 PM

A trailer carrying "Master Jack" drain opener spilled over and blocked two lanes of I-40 E at Seventeenth Street Thursday afternoon.

According to the Knoxville Fire Department, Don Melton from Denver, CO was hauling a 4' by 6' enclosed trailed filled with the liquid. His trailer came loose from the van and fell over blocking two lanes of I-40 E.

Melton told officials he was on the way to North Carolina to sell the liquid at a flee market.

Officers with the Fire Department worked to neutralize and dilute the product.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

CSP cites driver for trailer wreck



8/12/2010 6:00:00 AM Email this articlePrint this article
CSP cites driver for trailer wreck

Reid Wright
Journal Staff Writer

A local man was cited for a loose-trailer accident that smashed a sport utility vehicle and hospitalized an Oregon woman Aug. 5 on U.S. 491 near Cortez.

Following a Colorado State Patrol investigation, Kurt Trudeau was issued a citation for careless driving causing injury regarding the incident. It is apparent the fertilizer spreader being towed by Trudeau began to fishtail, a pin came loose and the farm implement separated from the Dodge pickup and drifted into the oncoming lane, colliding with a Toyota 4Runner driven by Feryl Laney, Trooper Joshua Boden said.

According to witnesses, Laney's vehicle then spun counter-clockwise, lost control and flipped end over end - ejecting the woman. The vehicle smashed into a security gate and came to a rest on Laney's leg.

Laney is in stable condition after being airlifted to St. Mary's hospital in Grand Junction, Boden said.

Dangeroustrailers.org President Ron Melancon said accidents such as this are not uncommon. Four hundred nineteen people have been killed in trailer-related incidents in Colorado since 1975, he said. Although the state requires safety chains, there are no other regulations for trailers under 3,000 pounds, he said,

"Why do we have to wait for another person to get hurt or lose their life to do the right thing?" he said.

Further, Melancon said incidents in which trailers come loose but do not cause injury or property damage go unreported.

In this case, the fertilizer spreader is legally classified as a farm implement in the state of Colorado ­- rendering the device even more immune to regulation, Melancon said. In the state of Virginia, such devices are not allowed to travel on the road, he said.

"A farm implement is supposed to be used on a farm," he said. "We all preach personal responsibility. Would you secure a child in a child safety seat the way you secured that farm implement?"

Reach Reid Wright at reidw@cortezjournal.com.

PRILL: The Agony Of Defeat


For every success story at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, there is one of despair. I found one such story on Wednesday.

PRILL: The Agony Of Defeat
For every success story at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, there is one of despair. I found one such story on Wednesday.
Eric Prill | Posted September 22, 2010


At the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Subway, there are great stories of success and personal triumph. These are the stories you’ll read about on websites and in magazines. But for every success story, there is one of despair. I found one such story on Wednesday.

Some of the craziest, most frustrating stories come out of the trip to races. I’m not saying that grassroots racers are a menace to the highway, but I’ve heard my share of stories revolving around blown trailer tires, runaway trailers and stolen rigs out of hotel parking lots. Sometimes, the greatest adventure on a race weekend is getting to and from the event.

Harold Flescher had a difficult trip to the Runoffs. The 1995 F Production National Champion had motor home trouble, making his three-day trip from South Florida take a week. Weeks like that often set the stage for a Cinderella-type storybook ending, but it’s not happening for “H” this week.

On the last lap of qualifying, Harold had a good lap going in his aged, but highly-developed and really fast Austin-Healey Sprite. He admitted the car was a little loose in the Carousel, but, knowing he had a flier going, he decided to go flat through the Kink.

It didn’t work. Harold went wide, and figured he’d just hang on in the dirt at 120mph and ease it back on, but when he got back to the asphalt, the car hooked right and went straight into the wall. Ouch.

I was on track in the same session and you never like to see the yellow flags waving vigorously at Station 11 and 11A. It means there’s probably a yard sale around the bend and you hope one of your fellow racers isn’t hurt.

As I drove by the safety vehicle and Harold’s car, I was relieved to see him climbing out. Talking to him afterward by his crumpled car, Harold admitted he was sore and that he’d probably be really sore tomorrow. It was the hardest hit he’d ever had in his 40-plus years of racing.

I asked him what the future of the car was, and he said that his crew chief Peter would get the car into his shop to fix it. I was happy to hear that, because I know that Harold has thought about retirement, at least a little bit, in the last several years. He admitted that weeks like this make a guy consider if he wants to continue racing. I hope he does, but in two weeks time, he’ll celebrate his 70th birthday. Who could blame him if he decided that it was time to call it a career? But, then again, this isn’t a job or a career. This is for fun and Harold loves to race. He’s damn good at it too.

Thrill of Victory

Someone did taste the thrill of victory today—Benjamin Schaut, of Commerce Twp, Mich., won the second-annual Beat the Boss charity fundraiser for the SCCA Foundation. Each year, SCCA President Jeff Dahnert challenges all to a foot race around the four-mile Road America circuit. Proceeds go to the SCCA Foundation, which funds a number of outreach programs, most notably the Tire Rack Street Survival teen safe-driving program. Dahnert finished seventh—two spots better than 2009.

I guess I should be happy, but…

So my own session today didn’t go how I would have scripted it. All in all, it wasn’t bad, though. After day two, I’m in fourth place – a little more than a tenth out of second. A lot of people would be thrilled, but I was frustrated with how my session shook out and actually helped one of the guys in front of me by giving him a rabbit to chase and a draft. There’s always tomorrow, but the weather doesn’t look good.

Loose trailer flips 4Runner


Journal/Hope Nealson
A Toyota 4Runner with Oregon plates was involved in a rollover north of Cortez off U.S. Highway 491 Tuesday around 4 p.m. The unidentifed passenger, whose condition was unknown at the time of the accident, was taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital.


Journal/Hope Nealson
An unidentifed woman is carried from the scene of a rollover her Toyota 4Runner, with Oregon plates, was involved in north of the Cortez Livestock Auction off U.S. Highway 491 about 4 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses said a trailer came loose and crashed into her vehicle, causing it to flip, end over end, into the ditch next to the opposite lane of traffic.


8/3/2010 5:50:00 PM
Hope Nealson
Journal Staff Writer

A woman was ejected from her Toyota 4Runner north of Cortez on Tuesday when a farm implement pulled by an oncoming Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck came loose and collided with the vehicle, causing it to roll and eject the woman before landing on top of her.

"The farm implement collided with the left-front corner of the engine compartment area and basically from there it opened up the Toyota 4Runner. It took the driver's door, the roof and the rear hatch door completely off the vehicle as it was traveling around the left side of the vehicle," Colorado State Patrol Trooper Joshua Boden said.

It took four minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the scene near mile marker 30 about 3:55 p.m., Boden said.

The ambulance transported the driver, Feryl Laney, to Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez, where she was prepped and transported via CareFlight to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.

"She suffered serious bodily injury from the crash as far as I know," Boden said Wednesday. "I called about 1 a.m. before I went off duty, and she was stabilizing in the ICU in Grand Junction."

Laney was listed in serious condition at St. Mary's Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Laney, who is based in Oregon but travels the country working for youth groups, was driving in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 491 when her vehicle was stuck by a farm implement "made of pretty heavy gauge steel" that had disconnected from behind a pickup driven by a Basin Co-op employee, Boden said.

The implement strayed from the northbound lane into Laney's southbound lane, causing her 4Runner to spin counterclockwise from the impact, across the northbound lane, rolling 56 feet before landing on her leg.

"Ms. Feryl was ejected completely from the vehicle as it rolled and collided with the fence at a storage area," Boden said. "The vehicle continued traveling through the fence where it struck the security gate and landed on top of Ms. Feryl."

Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace said there was quite a bit of damage when he arrived on the scene about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters from the Cortez and Lewis-Arriola departments responded, along with the Colorado State Patrol and the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office.

"It was one of the fertilizer trailers you hook behind your tractor being towed," he said. "It did hit the lady's vehicle, and she was trapped underneath the vehicle for a little while until she was released by firefighters."

Boden said the fertilizer implement is not technically considered a trailer, even though it looks like a trailer and has the design of a trailer. Because it's an agricultural machine - a fertilizer spreader - it's not classified as a vehicle and therefore different laws apply.

"Being a farm implement, it throws a kink in things," he said. "How we define vehicles and define objects affects if there is a federal regulation or state law that was violated."

The name of the driver of the Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck pulling the implement in the northbound lane of Highway 491 when the connection came loose will not be released until charges are filed, Boden said. No drugs or alcohol were involved, Boden added.

The vehicle had extensive damage, Wallace said.

"It was quite a mess out there," he said. "I've not seen a Toyota 4Runner that was destroyed that bad in a long time. The roof and the tailgate were on the west side of the road, and the vehicle ended up on the east side."

In the impact, the implement lost the front axle and a tire that rolled through the same pathway as Laney, striking a parked, unattended camper trailer. A northbound Ford F-250 pickup truck traveling behind the farm implement was also damaged from debris that came off the vehicle, Boden said.

Ronda Griffith, of Cortez, was following her friend home after work traveling north on Highway 491, passing the Cortez Livestock Auction, when she saw the oncoming vehicle fly across the road in front of her friend's car.

"There was stuff flying everywhere," she said. "A few more seconds and she would have crashed right into you," she said to her friend, Glenda Alexander, also of Cortez.

Alexander said she saw the trailer come loose and the car flip in front of her.

"The car was flying across the road, end over end," Alexander said. "It threw her out and landed on her leg."

Alexander said she immediately pulled over, called 911 and rushed to the vehicle, where an emergency medical technician from Utah who had been driving behind Laney tended to her, asking her questions.

"At first she was just moaning. Then she started answering the questions," Alexander said. "The EMT asked her if she had on her seat belt, and she said she did."

Considering how severely the vehicle was torn apart, whether or not Laney was wearing her seat belt is a moot point, Boden said.

"It ripped up the B-post that holds her seat belt," he said.

Reach Hope Nealson at hopen@cortezjournal.com.

Horse trailer floor collapses, highway blocked for hours Read more: Mount Airy News - Horse trailer floor collapses highway blocked for hours


Horse trailer floor collapses, highway blocked for hours
by Mondee Tilley
8 days ago | 1318 views | 1 1 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
LOWGAP — One horse had to be put down after bottom fell out of the trailer it and four other horses were riding in.

The incident happened at N.C. 18 and N.C. 89 at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Skull Camp Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Moose.

“Once we got there, we found a truck and a horse trailer that was coming off of N.C. 18 turning onto N.C. 89 when the bottom of the horse trailer broke through and one or two of the horses’ legs fell through. They didn’t know right away that it had happened. So they don’t know how far they had driven like that,” said Moose.

He said there were five horses, two donkeys and one sheep in the trailer. He said one horse was trapped by the legs between the road and the bottom on the trailer and was unable to get up. The horse had to be euthanized at the scene.

He said Surry County Animal Control was called to the scene to remove the animals from the roadway.

Moose said both highways were shut down for 30 minutes and N.C. 18 was closed for more than two hours.

He said the three men in the truck had left a stock yard sale in Virginia and were headed toward Mount Airy at the time of the incident.

Moose said in his opinion the medium-sized horse trailer was overloaded, which caused that accident.

Trooper Kevin Johnson with the N.C. State Highway Patrol charged Jose Rodriguez Flores, of 366 Forest Oaks Drive, Dobson with no registration, no insurance and fictitious tags. Johnson called Trooper Bobby Miller with the Motor Carrier Division who charged Flores with $150 in civil fees for no lights on the trailer and having unsecured load. The Motor Carrier Division is in charge of inspecting trailers.


Read more: Mount Airy News - Horse trailer floor collapses highway blocked for hours

Dump truck accident closes road for 2 hours...Loose Trailer


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Dump truck accident closes road for 2 hours



A trailer carrying a water truck overturned on Duggans Road, off Lime Kiln Road in southern Nevada County, closing the road for two hours Friday afternoon and disrupting school pickup for local students.

Sunny Stephens, 41, of Auburn, was driving the Kenworth dump truck and hauling a flatbed trailer on Lime Kiln Road at about 2 p.m. and was traveling too fast when he tried to turn right on Duggans Road, according to the California Highway Patrol report.

Due to the speed, the flatbed trailer, which was carrying a water truck, fell over and the trailer became detached.

Duggans Road was closed from 3:11 p.m. to 5:16 p.m. so that two heavy-duty tow trucks could remove the vehicles. Durham Transportation was notified and adjusted pickup locations for students from Cottage Hill, Magnolia and Bear River High schools.

CINDY PETERSON: Wilson's rough road to Bismarck


CINDY PETERSON: Wilson's rough road to Bismarck

By CINDY PETERSON Bismarck Tribune | Posted: Saturday, August 21, 2010 8:51 pm | (0) Comment

Kylee Wilson ran into a string of bad luck the night before she was set to move to Bismarck.

Wilson was traveling from Iowa to her hometown of Omaha, Neb., the evening of Aug. 1.

The next morning Wilson, her mom and a close friend planned to set off for the Capital City so Wilson could start her duties at Bismarck State, where she is the new women's basketball coach and will be starting the school's softball program.

Wilson, her mom and friend went into Iowa to borrow a trailer from her friend's grandfather to help bring her furniture to Bismarck.

Little did Wilson know that her arrival in Bismarck would be delayed by more than two weeks. The trio ended up in an emergency room in Omaha that night.

At about 6 p.m., Wilson was driving her Trailblazer when the women heard a loud noise and felt a strong pull on the vehicle. The trailer started fishtailing.

"I had a semi to the right and a ditch to the left," Wilson said. "There was a bridge 10 to 20 feet in front of me. The trailer went off the edge into the ditch."

A gentleman who witnessed the accident said Wilson's Trailblazer rolled five or six times.

"The guy behind us ran down there right away," Wilson said. "He said sparks had been coming from the trailer. I hit a bump earlier, and we think the trailer came off the hitch and ball. I was pulling the trailer by the chains."

Wilson's mom was able to kick out her window and get out of the vehicle. Wilson couldn't get her door open and was removed by the jaws of life. The roof was cut off to rescue her friend.

"Luckily we were all wearing our seat belts," Wilson said.

Wilson's mom sustained bruises on her right side.

Her friend suffered from whiplash and had a piece of glass lodged in one of her toes.

Wilson took the brunt of everything. She suffered lacerations on her face and forehead. She was treated with six staples to the back of her head.

Doctors shaved part of

her head in the back and some of her hair in the front was shaved from hitting the driver's side window.

Wilson also got stitches in her left knee and still has glass particles in one of her elbows.

Wilson spent two days in the hospital getting CAT scans.

"They found bleeding in my brain," she said. "They couldn't tell if it was from the accident or if I already had it."

Wilson, who normally wears her hair long, came to Bismarck with a different hairdo.

"My mom feels bad because they shaved some of my hair off and I have scars," Wilson said. "It's just hair. It will grow back."

Wilson, who was advised not to travel, came to Bismarck last week for orientation.

She went back to Omaha for a follow-up visit and arrived in Bismarck on Tuesday.

When Wilson entered the emergency room, she wasn't worried about herself.

She was fretting over recruiting for basketball and softball. She was worried about getting her office and apartment set up. She asked her dad to phone BSC athletic director Buster Gilliss immediately.

"I wasn't worried about my injuries," Wilson said. "I knew I was bleeding, but I wasn't in a lot of pain. There were so many things I felt like I needed to do. Everything got put on hold. There's a lot of recruiting to do."

Even though Wilson has been in town for just a few days, she's gotten the opportunity to meet some of her basketball players.

Another thing on Wilson's to-do list is starting up her softball pitching camp.

She's also been welcomed by her colleagues at BSC.

"I haven't met one person who hasn't extended their hand to help out," she said. "Some players offered to help move me into my apartment.

"I can't wait for school to start. I want to get a feel for what the campus is like when the students are there. Right now there's only so much I can do until the athletes get there."

(Cindy Peterson is a Tribune sportswriter.)

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Pruett did not use any safety chains to ensure that the trailer remained attached to the truck.


Posted On: June 15, 2010 by The Berniard Law Firm

Tragic Auto Accident in Morehouse Parish Illustrates Insurance Coverage Requirements for Substitute Vehicles

Imagine the following scenario: you are involved in a fender-bender in the parking lot of the grocery store. Your car is taken to the body shop for repairs. Since you need transportation to get to work and other places in the mean time, you rent a car from the local agency. When picking up the car, you'll no doubt be offered liability insurance through the agency--at an additional cost, of course. There may also be coverage available through the credit card you use to pay for the rental. And then there is the policy you maintain on your regular car. Does it extend coverage to the rental?

Louisiana law recognizes a "temporary substitute vehicle," which is commonly defined by insurance companies as a short-term substitute for a car that is out of service due to breakdown, repair, servicing, theft, or destruction. State statute requires automobile insurance companies to "extend to temporary substitute motor vehicles ... any and all such insurance coverage in effect in the original policy." La. R.S. 22:681. In other words, the auto insurer must provide the same coverage to the rental car as was already in place on the regular vehicle.

The recent case of Smith v. Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, No. 45,013, Ct. of App. of La., 2d Cir. (2010), explored the definition of "temporary substitute vehicle" in detail. On the morning of May 28, 2005, Brian Smith was driving a 2003 Nissan Altima on U.S. Highway 425 in Morehouse Parish. At the same time, Joshua Pruett was driving a 1998 Dodge Ram pickup truck on the highway in the opposite direction. Pruett's truck was pulling a utility trailer containing crawfish and ice that had been loaded in Crowley. The ball on the truck's trailer hitch was too small for the trailer and Pruett did not use any safety chains to ensure that the trailer remained attached to the truck. The trailer eventually disconnected from the truck, at which point it crossed the highway's center line and collided with Smith's Altima. Smith died at the scene from the severe trauma he sustained in the accident.

Ordinarily, Pruett hauled crawfish for his employer, Broubar, Inc., in a larger Dodge pickup truck that is equipped with a refrigeration cooler biult into its bed. However, on the day of the accident, the larger truck was being repaired, so Pruett's employer substituted the smaller truck. The smaller truck could not hold a cooler for the crawfish in its bed, and so the utility trailer was used instead.

One of the issues before the court on appeal was whether Pruett's truck and trailer, together, would be considered a "temporary substitute vehicle" for purposes of insurance coverage. The insurance carrier who issued the policy for Pruett's usual truck argued that the trial court erroneously treated the truck and trailer as a single unit. However, the Court of Appeals noted that

in order for the [smaller] Dodge to function as a temporary substitute vehicle for the [larger] Dodge, it needed to pull a trailer that could hold a cooler to keep the crawfish refrigerated... Accordingly, we find no error in the trial court's conclusion that the [smaller] Dodge truck and the trailer together constituted a temporary substitute vehicle operating as a single unit.

The Smith case demonstrates the willingness of Louisiana courts to interpret the "temporary substitute vehicle" concept broadly in a way that can significantly benefit plaintiffs. If insurance coverage is not extended to temporary substitute vehicles, a motorist who is injured by a driver operating a substitute vehicle could seek damages only from the vehicle's owner. Even in a situation like the Smith case, where a corporation owned the vehicle, the owner may not have sufficient assets to fully compensate the victim. By extending insurance coverage whenever possible, the courts make it more likely that an accident victim can be made whole.


If you have been injured in a car accident, call the Berniard Law Firm toll-free at 1-866-574-8005 to speak with an attorney who can help.

Loose Trailer Chemical Spill In Washtenaw County



Chemical Spill In Washtenaw County



Washtenaw County Hazmat crews and the Augusta Fire Department spent Friday morning cleaning up a chemical spill on Willis Road, east of Stony Creek.

Michigan State Police Trooper Josh Reeber said the chemical, anhydrous ammonia, was realeased when a crop service trailer unhitched and rolled over into a field.

It took more than two hours for the crews to get the small chemical spill under control Friday morning.

Reeber said the chemical is not lethal in small quantities, but can be tricky to deal with if inhaled in large amounts.

Reeber said officers dealing with anhydrous ammonia is a concern.

"We've had officers who have died when they opened a trunk and there was a meth lab, and they opened the container. The anhydrous ammonia comes out and just from inhaling it it can attack their lungs and they can die instantly," he said.

Reeber said there was no need to evacuate nearby homes, but because the wind was traveling in a southeast direction residents in a half mile radius were advised of the situation.

Reeber said officials decided that it was a small enough leak that they weren't concerned that it would travel through the air and cause harm.


The Washtenaw County Hazardous Materials Response Team is on the scene of a rollover accident that dumped a reported 1,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia near Willis Road in Augusta Township.

Willis Road is closed between Hitchingham and Stony Creek Road. The truck rolled over west of Pittman Road.

No further details were available at noon.

Trailer leads truck to flip on interstate



Billy W. Hobbs/Staff
Two Augusta men were injured when the driver of this pickup truck lost control on Interstate 20 in McDuffie County.

Two men who work for the Salvation Army in Augusta managed to escape serious injuries after they were involved in a wreck on Interstate 20 in McDuffie County.


Trooper First Class Mike Callaway of the Georgia State Patrol post in Grovetown identified the victims as: William Lee Welch, of the 800 block of Heard Avenue in Augusta, and Henry Ross, formerly of Thomson, who now is living in Augusta.

The victims, who received various visible injuries, were treated at the scene by personnel with the McDuffie County Emergency Medical Services and firefighters/first responders with the McDuffie County Fire/Rescue Services. They were taken by ambulance to University Hospital in Augusta where they were treated and released.

Trooper First Class Willie Ramsey said Mr. Welch was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a Salvation Army trailer eastbound along I-20 shortly before 12:30 p.m. last Thursday.

"The trailer got loose with him and caused him to lose control of the pickup," Trooper Ramsey said.

The pickup then turned over at least once.

The victims, who were both seat-belted, managed to crawl out of the truck Medical personnel discovered the victims sitting on an embankment overlooking the passing traffic.

The pickup truck along with the trailer sustained extensive damages in the crash.



Web posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Loose boat trailer runs into house



26 days ago | 2748 views

No one hurt when boat runs into house off Old Dalton Road
Read more: http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/7479135/article-No-one-hurt-when-boat-runs-into-house-off-Old-Dalton-Road?instance=news_page_secondary_local#ixzz0qunWFwIb

The coupling of a trailer holding a boat came loose Wednesday afternoon, sending the boat into a home at 12 Mark St., off Old Dalton Road, said Floyd County Police Officer Buddy Parris.

The driver, Renderal Adams, 30, of Rome, was driving south when the incident occurred, Parris said.

No one was injured.