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St. Clair Times, The (Pell City, AL)
January 25, 2008
Section: Front Page
Court case continued for death of woman hit by barge
Author: David Atchison
Article Text:
A case involving a Pell City man facing a two-count indictment for manslaughter and homicide by vehicle of a Cropwell woman was continued last Friday.
St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Charles Robinson granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense to continue the state's case against Blake Alan Brown, 23, of Stewart Road, Pell City.
Brown is accused of recklessly causing the April 18, 2007, death of Rosea Mae Beavers, 57, of Cropwell.
Beavers was killed when the Ford Focus she was driving was struck by a runaway towable barge. The accident happened along U.S. 231, near the CVS Pharmacy.
According to The Daily Home news account of the accident, Beavers had just turned out of the CVS parking lot, heading south along U.S. 231, when the barge Brown was towing came loose from his vehicle, crossed the highway and struck her vehicle.
A Lifesaver helicopter was called to the scene and landed at Avondale Park along U.S. 78, but Beavers died while being transported by ambulance to the landing site.
In June 2007, Brown told The Daily Home the incident was just a horrible accident.
"If I could take it back, I would," he said.
Brown said he doesn't know why his trailer came loose from his truck.
"I've been driving the same setup for two years," he said, adding that he's been towing trailers since he was 15.
"I wasn't on drugs or driving carelessly," Brown said.
Brown said he was driving below the speed limit when the trailer came lose.
"I was slowing down for the light," he said.
Brown said he hit a bad dip along U.S. 231, which could have caused the trailer to come loose and snap the safety chain.
"That's all I could think of," he said.
Brown has remained out of jail since his arrest in June, after posting a $15,000 bond.
Brown is expected to appear back in court in April.
St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said manslaughter is a Class B felony and carries a two- to 20-year sentence. Homicide by vehicle is a felony and carries a prison term of one to five years and a fine of $500-2,000.
Memo:
About David Atchison
David Atchison is a staff writer for The St. Clair Times.
Contact David Atchison
Phone:
E-mail:
205-884-3400
datchison@dailyhome.com
Copyright, 2008, The St. Clair Times, Consolidated Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: /stc/raw/01-25-2008/news/2008/st-local-0125-datchison-8a25q0319.htm
Friday, May 8, 2009
Women Killed By Loose Trailer In Pell City
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St. Clair Times, The (Pell City, AL)
January 25, 2008
Section: Front Page
Court case continued for death of woman hit by barge
Author: David Atchison
Article Text:
A case involving a Pell City man facing a two-count indictment for manslaughter and homicide by vehicle of a Cropwell woman was continued last Friday.
St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Charles Robinson granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense to continue the state's case against Blake Alan Brown, 23, of Stewart Road, Pell City.
Brown is accused of recklessly causing the April 18, 2007, death of Rosea Mae Beavers, 57, of Cropwell.
Beavers was killed when the Ford Focus she was driving was struck by a runaway towable barge. The accident happened along U.S. 231, near the CVS Pharmacy.
According to The Daily Home news account of the accident, Beavers had just turned out of the CVS parking lot, heading south along U.S. 231, when the barge Brown was towing came loose from his vehicle, crossed the highway and struck her vehicle.
A Lifesaver helicopter was called to the scene and landed at Avondale Park along U.S. 78, but Beavers died while being transported by ambulance to the landing site.
In June 2007, Brown told The Daily Home the incident was just a horrible accident.
"If I could take it back, I would," he said.
Brown said he doesn't know why his trailer came loose from his truck.
"I've been driving the same setup for two years," he said, adding that he's been towing trailers since he was 15.
"I wasn't on drugs or driving carelessly," Brown said.
Brown said he was driving below the speed limit when the trailer came lose.
"I was slowing down for the light," he said.
Brown said he hit a bad dip along U.S. 231, which could have caused the trailer to come loose and snap the safety chain.
"That's all I could think of," he said.
Brown has remained out of jail since his arrest in June, after posting a $15,000 bond.
Brown is expected to appear back in court in April.
St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said manslaughter is a Class B felony and carries a two- to 20-year sentence. Homicide by vehicle is a felony and carries a prison term of one to five years and a fine of $500-2,000.
Memo:
About David Atchison
David Atchison is a staff writer for The St. Clair Times.
Contact David Atchison
Phone:
E-mail:
205-884-3400
datchison@dailyhome.com
Copyright, 2008, The St. Clair Times, Consolidated Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: /stc/raw/01-25-2008/news/2008/st-local-0125-datchison-8a25q0319.htm
Subscription until: 06/07/2009 11:59 PM
St. Clair Times, The (Pell City, AL)
January 25, 2008
Section: Front Page
Court case continued for death of woman hit by barge
Author: David Atchison
Article Text:
A case involving a Pell City man facing a two-count indictment for manslaughter and homicide by vehicle of a Cropwell woman was continued last Friday.
St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Charles Robinson granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense to continue the state's case against Blake Alan Brown, 23, of Stewart Road, Pell City.
Brown is accused of recklessly causing the April 18, 2007, death of Rosea Mae Beavers, 57, of Cropwell.
Beavers was killed when the Ford Focus she was driving was struck by a runaway towable barge. The accident happened along U.S. 231, near the CVS Pharmacy.
According to The Daily Home news account of the accident, Beavers had just turned out of the CVS parking lot, heading south along U.S. 231, when the barge Brown was towing came loose from his vehicle, crossed the highway and struck her vehicle.
A Lifesaver helicopter was called to the scene and landed at Avondale Park along U.S. 78, but Beavers died while being transported by ambulance to the landing site.
In June 2007, Brown told The Daily Home the incident was just a horrible accident.
"If I could take it back, I would," he said.
Brown said he doesn't know why his trailer came loose from his truck.
"I've been driving the same setup for two years," he said, adding that he's been towing trailers since he was 15.
"I wasn't on drugs or driving carelessly," Brown said.
Brown said he was driving below the speed limit when the trailer came lose.
"I was slowing down for the light," he said.
Brown said he hit a bad dip along U.S. 231, which could have caused the trailer to come loose and snap the safety chain.
"That's all I could think of," he said.
Brown has remained out of jail since his arrest in June, after posting a $15,000 bond.
Brown is expected to appear back in court in April.
St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said manslaughter is a Class B felony and carries a two- to 20-year sentence. Homicide by vehicle is a felony and carries a prison term of one to five years and a fine of $500-2,000.
Memo:
About David Atchison
David Atchison is a staff writer for The St. Clair Times.
Contact David Atchison
Phone:
E-mail:
205-884-3400
datchison@dailyhome.com
Copyright, 2008, The St. Clair Times, Consolidated Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: /stc/raw/01-25-2008/news/2008/st-local-0125-datchison-8a25q0319.htm
Montrose fatality probe continues
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Mobile Register (AL)
July 14, 2000
Edition: 02
Section: B
Page: 01
Topics:
Index Terms:
METRO
Montrose fatality probe continues
Author: LORI MOORE; Staff Reporter
Article Text:
Montrose fatality probe continues Wednesday wreck killed Richard Constantini and left Dr. James Seay in critical condition By LORI MOORE Staff Reporter
MONTROSE - A Daphne business owner expressed regret Thursday for a fatal wreck that occurred when a trailer carrying a tractor broke loose from his truck, splitting one vehicle in half and crushing another.
"All I'm concerned about then and right now are the families," John Bolton, 64, said. "My prayers and thoughts are with them."
Bolton, who owns Bolton Septic Tank Services, said he was on his way to a job in the moments before Wednesday's 2:45 p.m. wreck on U.S. 98 in Montrose.
"The only thing I know is that I was pulling a tractor and going to do a sewer system and the tractor just crossed the median and hit the cars," Bolton said. "I have no idea what caused it - we are all investigating it at the same time."
Though he did not want to elaborate pending insurance and police investigations, Bolton, who was uninjured but visibly shaken in the wreck, confirmed that he had attached the trailer to the truck himself.
"It's simple to hook," he said.
Judy Newcomb, Baldwin County chief assistant district attorney, said answers about the wreck and decisions on any possible criminal charges may be slow in coming.
Grand juries - which decide whether evidence exists to bring a case to trial - review any accident involving a fatality, Newcomb said. This case likely will not be presented to a grand jury until at least November, she said.
"The Fairhope police have not submitted anything to our office," Newcomb said, "but in the case of any traffic fatality, it takes extra time to investigate."
The wreck killed Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope, and left Dr. James Seay, 71, a surgeon who practiced out of Thomas Hospital, in critical condition.
Constantini died on the scene as the Ford 2120 tractor, typically used for landscaping, landed on the windshield of his sport utility vehicle.
The tractor probably weighed more than 6,000 pounds. A Ford 2120 tractor alone would weigh 3,250 pounds, while a Ford loader like the one attached to the front end, adds 1,000-1,100 pounds and a Woods backhoe adds another 1,800 pounds, according to the New Holland price book for Ford tractors.
The preliminary cause of death has been determined to be multiple blunt-force wounds, said Baldwin County Coroner Huey Mack Sr.
Seay remained Thursday at the University of South Alabama Medical Center. A passenger in his white, Lincoln Mark VIII was uninjured, police said.
One of Seay's co-workers at Thomas said the news of his injuries hit hard on her and others at the hospital.
"When it is someone you know and love, even if it is the kind of situation you deal with every day, it is different," said Marilyn Brown, director of surgery at Thomas Hospital and a registered nurse.
She added, "It is always hard to see an automobile accident when you think that this person was pulled from a normal day into this situation, and it is even more magnified when it is someone you know."
Brown has worked with Seay in the operating room as well as through administration for about 10 years, she said. She described Seay as a jovial and pleasant man who is well-liked by patients and co-workers.
"He is very well thought of, and a lot of prayers are going up for him," she said.
The Fairhope Funeral Home & Crematory is handling the Constantini funeral arrangements.
Bolton said he has been trying to get in touch with the families but has been unable to. photo Seay Register graphic Tragedy on U.S. 98 Source: Register research JEFF DARBY /Staff Artist
Copyright 2000, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_459998
Subscription until: 06/07/2009 11:59 PM
Mobile Register (AL)
July 14, 2000
Edition: 02
Section: B
Page: 01
Topics:
Index Terms:
METRO
Montrose fatality probe continues
Author: LORI MOORE; Staff Reporter
Article Text:
Montrose fatality probe continues Wednesday wreck killed Richard Constantini and left Dr. James Seay in critical condition By LORI MOORE Staff Reporter
MONTROSE - A Daphne business owner expressed regret Thursday for a fatal wreck that occurred when a trailer carrying a tractor broke loose from his truck, splitting one vehicle in half and crushing another.
"All I'm concerned about then and right now are the families," John Bolton, 64, said. "My prayers and thoughts are with them."
Bolton, who owns Bolton Septic Tank Services, said he was on his way to a job in the moments before Wednesday's 2:45 p.m. wreck on U.S. 98 in Montrose.
"The only thing I know is that I was pulling a tractor and going to do a sewer system and the tractor just crossed the median and hit the cars," Bolton said. "I have no idea what caused it - we are all investigating it at the same time."
Though he did not want to elaborate pending insurance and police investigations, Bolton, who was uninjured but visibly shaken in the wreck, confirmed that he had attached the trailer to the truck himself.
"It's simple to hook," he said.
Judy Newcomb, Baldwin County chief assistant district attorney, said answers about the wreck and decisions on any possible criminal charges may be slow in coming.
Grand juries - which decide whether evidence exists to bring a case to trial - review any accident involving a fatality, Newcomb said. This case likely will not be presented to a grand jury until at least November, she said.
"The Fairhope police have not submitted anything to our office," Newcomb said, "but in the case of any traffic fatality, it takes extra time to investigate."
The wreck killed Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope, and left Dr. James Seay, 71, a surgeon who practiced out of Thomas Hospital, in critical condition.
Constantini died on the scene as the Ford 2120 tractor, typically used for landscaping, landed on the windshield of his sport utility vehicle.
The tractor probably weighed more than 6,000 pounds. A Ford 2120 tractor alone would weigh 3,250 pounds, while a Ford loader like the one attached to the front end, adds 1,000-1,100 pounds and a Woods backhoe adds another 1,800 pounds, according to the New Holland price book for Ford tractors.
The preliminary cause of death has been determined to be multiple blunt-force wounds, said Baldwin County Coroner Huey Mack Sr.
Seay remained Thursday at the University of South Alabama Medical Center. A passenger in his white, Lincoln Mark VIII was uninjured, police said.
One of Seay's co-workers at Thomas said the news of his injuries hit hard on her and others at the hospital.
"When it is someone you know and love, even if it is the kind of situation you deal with every day, it is different," said Marilyn Brown, director of surgery at Thomas Hospital and a registered nurse.
She added, "It is always hard to see an automobile accident when you think that this person was pulled from a normal day into this situation, and it is even more magnified when it is someone you know."
Brown has worked with Seay in the operating room as well as through administration for about 10 years, she said. She described Seay as a jovial and pleasant man who is well-liked by patients and co-workers.
"He is very well thought of, and a lot of prayers are going up for him," she said.
The Fairhope Funeral Home & Crematory is handling the Constantini funeral arrangements.
Bolton said he has been trying to get in touch with the families but has been unable to. photo Seay Register graphic Tragedy on U.S. 98 Source: Register research JEFF DARBY /Staff Artist
Copyright 2000, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_459998
runaway trailer on U.S. 98 that killed one man and critically injured another
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Mobile Register (AL)
August 30, 2000
Edition: 01
Section: B
Page: 07
Findings inconclusive in fatal Baldwin accident
Author: LORI MOORE; Staff Reporter
Article Text:
Findings inconclusive in fatal Baldwin accident By LORI MOORE Staff Reporter
MONTROSE - After more than a month of tests and studies, investigators said they cannot identify the exact cause of a July 12 accident involving a runaway trailer on U.S. 98 that killed one man and critically injured another.
Police have found no conclusive reason why an equipment trailer and the tractor it carried broke loose from a truck, crossed the median and struck two cars.
No charges have been filed against the truck's driver, John Bolton, 64, of Daphne, but a grand jury will review the case, possibly in the next few weeks, Sgt. Thomas Garrick, Fairhope's investigator on the accident, said Monday.
The grand jury will convene Sept. 11.
Bolton was driving south on U.S. 98 in Montrose with a trailer carrying a Ford tractor with front-end and back-hoe attachments. The trailer broke loose and crossed the median into north-bound traffic, according to the accident report.
The tractor was secured to the trailer with safety chains which broke when the trailer collided with a Lincoln Mark VIII carrying Dr. James Seay, 71, of Fairhope, Garrick said. Seay's car was split in half on impact.
The tractor then fell off the trailer and crushed the front end of a sport utility vehicle, killing the driver of that vehicle, Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope.
Despite tests, Fairhope police and state troopers have not been able to determine why the pin securing the trailer to the truck came off, Garrick said.
"We didn't really find any reason for it to happen," Garrick said. "The pin that holds it (the trailer) for some reason just came out. But we never found it."
Garrick said that he believes the pin was in place when Bolton left Daphne.
"He had driven from Daphne, and I don't see any way you could drive that far without the pin," Garrick said.
According to the final accident report, Bolton drove 3.4 miles before the trailer broke loose. His 1978 Chevy truck was traveling 40 mph when the accident happened, the report states.
Seay, a surgeon who works out of Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, was flown by helicopter to the University of South Alabama Medical Center, where he spent 24 days in surgical intensive care, his wife, Patty Seay, said.
Last Tuesday, he was moved to a new skilled nursing unit at Thomas Hospital where he is undergoing physical rehabilitation, she said.
Patty Seay said she kissed her husband on his way out to the hardware store that day, and told him she would see him in a minute.
"Then our life was destroyed," she said.
Thomas Hospital spokeswoman Diana Brewer listed Seay in good condition on Tuesday.
The doctor has lost between 25 and 30 pounds, prompting his wife to say, "We just want to fatten him up and get him back to work."
Copyright 2000, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_47345
Subscription until: 06/07/2009 11:59 PM
Mobile Register (AL)
August 30, 2000
Edition: 01
Section: B
Page: 07
Findings inconclusive in fatal Baldwin accident
Author: LORI MOORE; Staff Reporter
Article Text:
Findings inconclusive in fatal Baldwin accident By LORI MOORE Staff Reporter
MONTROSE - After more than a month of tests and studies, investigators said they cannot identify the exact cause of a July 12 accident involving a runaway trailer on U.S. 98 that killed one man and critically injured another.
Police have found no conclusive reason why an equipment trailer and the tractor it carried broke loose from a truck, crossed the median and struck two cars.
No charges have been filed against the truck's driver, John Bolton, 64, of Daphne, but a grand jury will review the case, possibly in the next few weeks, Sgt. Thomas Garrick, Fairhope's investigator on the accident, said Monday.
The grand jury will convene Sept. 11.
Bolton was driving south on U.S. 98 in Montrose with a trailer carrying a Ford tractor with front-end and back-hoe attachments. The trailer broke loose and crossed the median into north-bound traffic, according to the accident report.
The tractor was secured to the trailer with safety chains which broke when the trailer collided with a Lincoln Mark VIII carrying Dr. James Seay, 71, of Fairhope, Garrick said. Seay's car was split in half on impact.
The tractor then fell off the trailer and crushed the front end of a sport utility vehicle, killing the driver of that vehicle, Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope.
Despite tests, Fairhope police and state troopers have not been able to determine why the pin securing the trailer to the truck came off, Garrick said.
"We didn't really find any reason for it to happen," Garrick said. "The pin that holds it (the trailer) for some reason just came out. But we never found it."
Garrick said that he believes the pin was in place when Bolton left Daphne.
"He had driven from Daphne, and I don't see any way you could drive that far without the pin," Garrick said.
According to the final accident report, Bolton drove 3.4 miles before the trailer broke loose. His 1978 Chevy truck was traveling 40 mph when the accident happened, the report states.
Seay, a surgeon who works out of Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, was flown by helicopter to the University of South Alabama Medical Center, where he spent 24 days in surgical intensive care, his wife, Patty Seay, said.
Last Tuesday, he was moved to a new skilled nursing unit at Thomas Hospital where he is undergoing physical rehabilitation, she said.
Patty Seay said she kissed her husband on his way out to the hardware store that day, and told him she would see him in a minute.
"Then our life was destroyed," she said.
Thomas Hospital spokeswoman Diana Brewer listed Seay in good condition on Tuesday.
The doctor has lost between 25 and 30 pounds, prompting his wife to say, "We just want to fatten him up and get him back to work."
Copyright 2000, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_47345
Trailer came loose from a car
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| Mobile Register (AL) October 11, 1994 | |
| Edition: AM Section: B Page: 2 | |
Author: COLQUITT
Article Text: Loose trailer tie-up RON COLQUITT /Staff Photographer This trailer came loose from a car as it left the westbound lane of the George C. Wallace Tunnel about 1:50 p.m. Monday, causing more chaos than damage. Nobody reportedly was hurt. Traffic was halted in the tunnel for about 25 minutes while workers removed the trailer.
Copyright 1994, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_64742
LOOSE TRAILER SNARLS TRAFFIC ON I-65
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| Birmingham News (AL) January 1, 2003 | |
| Section: News Page: 3-D | |
Volume 115, Issue 252
Topics:
Index Terms:
PHOTOGRAPH
PHOTOGRAPH
LOOSE TRAILER SNARLS TRAFFIC ON I-65
Caption:
A WRECKER HELPS SECURE A TRAILER TO A TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 65 ABOUT 9:30 TUESDAY MORNING. THE TRAILER BECAME UNHITCHED BUT DID NOT COME LOOSE FROM THE TRUCK. THE MISHAP SNARLED TRAFFIC JUST PAST THE SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT FOR HOURS. NEWS STAFF/CHARLES NESBITT
A WRECKER HELPS SECURE A TRAILER TO A TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 65 ABOUT 9:30 TUESDAY MORNING. THE TRAILER BECAME UNHITCHED BUT DID NOT COME LOOSE FROM THE TRUCK. THE MISHAP SNARLED TRAFFIC JUST PAST THE SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT FOR HOURS. NEWS STAFF/CHARLES NESBITT
Copyright (c) 2003 Birmingham News
Record Number: 469975
REP. HILL'S SON, 16, DIES IN 280 WRECK
Note:
What if the Trailer Did not Roll onto the Vehicle?
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Birmingham News (AL)
July 29, 1994
Section: NEWS
Page: 01-01
Topics:
Index Terms:
JON MICHAEL HILL, TRAFFIC VICTIM
REP. HILL'S SON, 16, DIES IN 280 WRECK
Author: Nancy Wilstach News staff writer
Article Text:
An accident Thursday morning on U.S. 280 claimed the life of Jon Michael Hill, 16, the son of state Rep. Mike Hill, R-Columbiana.
The youth, who would have been in the 11th grade this fall at Shelby County High School, was driving a 1990 Oldsmobile west on U.S. 280 as an Alabama Power Co. truck hauling a trailer loaded with utility poles apparently crossed the highway ahead of him, according to authorities.
Police said the truck was on Old Highway 280 near Chesser Drive in the Chelsea area. Alabama state troopers said an investigation continues into the accident. Shelby County Coroner Jack Jones said Hill had turned 16 in June and had had his driver's license only a short time. Hill, Page 2D Page 1D Jones said the youth died instantly when the trailer apparently rolled over his car and crushed it.
The impact appeared to be at the hitch, Jones said, and the trailer was knocked loose. ""It looked like it just rolled right over the car,'' he said.
Shelby County Sheriff's Capt. Chris Curry said Hill was going from Columbiana to the Inverness area.
""When he failed to arrive, his parents became concerned, and (Mrs. Hill) set out to follow his route,'' Curry said. Emergency workers and deputies were at the wreck, he said, when they saw her approaching and kept her back from the scene.
""It was just a horrible, horrible thing,'' Curry said.
Beverly Hall, principal of Shelby County High, said Hill was an honor student and ""an outstanding, a very talented artist. To know him was to love him.''
The family is setting up a memorial scholarship at Shelby County High for a student interested in art.
Hill had been by the school a short time before he was killed, she said, to pick up a summer reading list.
Denton Scott, Inverness Country Club manager, said Hill was a lifeguard at the club's pool. Upon word of his death, the pool was closed Thursday afternoon.
The Alabama Power truck was driven by Robert B. Williams, 37, of Jemison, a lineman in the company's Montevallo office, company spokesman Dave Rickey said. Rickey said the trailer was hauling five poles ranging in length from 35 to 55 feet.
""It was such a tragic accident,'' Rickey said. ""Our prayers and thoughts are with the Hill family.''
Caption:
NEWS STAFF PHOTO/JOE SONGER Rescue workers work to
untangle the wreckage of an accident that killed Jon Michael Hill.
Copyright (c) 1994 Birmingham News
Record Number: 9402090912
What if the Trailer Did not Roll onto the Vehicle?
Docs remaining: 43
Subscription until: 06/07/2009 11:59 PM
Birmingham News (AL)
July 29, 1994
Section: NEWS
Page: 01-01
Topics:
Index Terms:
JON MICHAEL HILL, TRAFFIC VICTIM
REP. HILL'S SON, 16, DIES IN 280 WRECK
Author: Nancy Wilstach News staff writer
Article Text:
An accident Thursday morning on U.S. 280 claimed the life of Jon Michael Hill, 16, the son of state Rep. Mike Hill, R-Columbiana.
The youth, who would have been in the 11th grade this fall at Shelby County High School, was driving a 1990 Oldsmobile west on U.S. 280 as an Alabama Power Co. truck hauling a trailer loaded with utility poles apparently crossed the highway ahead of him, according to authorities.
Police said the truck was on Old Highway 280 near Chesser Drive in the Chelsea area. Alabama state troopers said an investigation continues into the accident. Shelby County Coroner Jack Jones said Hill had turned 16 in June and had had his driver's license only a short time. Hill, Page 2D Page 1D Jones said the youth died instantly when the trailer apparently rolled over his car and crushed it.
The impact appeared to be at the hitch, Jones said, and the trailer was knocked loose. ""It looked like it just rolled right over the car,'' he said.
Shelby County Sheriff's Capt. Chris Curry said Hill was going from Columbiana to the Inverness area.
""When he failed to arrive, his parents became concerned, and (Mrs. Hill) set out to follow his route,'' Curry said. Emergency workers and deputies were at the wreck, he said, when they saw her approaching and kept her back from the scene.
""It was just a horrible, horrible thing,'' Curry said.
Beverly Hall, principal of Shelby County High, said Hill was an honor student and ""an outstanding, a very talented artist. To know him was to love him.''
The family is setting up a memorial scholarship at Shelby County High for a student interested in art.
Hill had been by the school a short time before he was killed, she said, to pick up a summer reading list.
Denton Scott, Inverness Country Club manager, said Hill was a lifeguard at the club's pool. Upon word of his death, the pool was closed Thursday afternoon.
The Alabama Power truck was driven by Robert B. Williams, 37, of Jemison, a lineman in the company's Montevallo office, company spokesman Dave Rickey said. Rickey said the trailer was hauling five poles ranging in length from 35 to 55 feet.
""It was such a tragic accident,'' Rickey said. ""Our prayers and thoughts are with the Hill family.''
Caption:
NEWS STAFF PHOTO/JOE SONGER Rescue workers work to
untangle the wreckage of an accident that killed Jon Michael Hill.
Copyright (c) 1994 Birmingham News
Record Number: 9402090912
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