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Montrose fatality probe continues

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Mobile Register (AL)

July 14, 2000

Edition: 02
Section: B
Page: 01

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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

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