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| Mobile Register (AL) July 13, 2000 | |
| Edition: 01 Section: B Page: 01 | |
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MONTROSE
WRECK
MONTROSE
WRECK
One dead, one critical after wreck in Montrose
Author: RENA HAVNER; Staff Reporter
Article Text:One dead, one critical after wreck in Montrose Two vehicles destroyed after colliding with trailer that broke loose on U.S. 98
By RENA HAVNER Staff Reporter MONTROSE - One man was killed and another was critically injured Wednesday when a heavy equipment trailer broke loose from its truck and careened into oncoming traffic on U.S. 98, slicing a car in half and dumping a tractor that crushed another vehicle. Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope was killed when the Ford tractor landed on top of his sport utility vehicle, according to police.
Rescue workers had to use an extraction tool to remove Constantini from the wreckage. He was declared dead at the scene, police said. Dr. James Seay, 71, of Fairhope was injured when his full-size car was torn into two parts by the impact.
Seay, a surgeon at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, was taken by SouthFlite helicopter to the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile.
He was listed in critical condition Wednesday night.
An unidentified passenger in Seay's car was not injured, said police. "Seat belts, airbags, there's nothing that would have made any difference in this wreck," said Sgt. Thomas Garrett of the Fairhope Police Department. "I've seen worse wrecks. But this one was bad." The driver of the southbound truck and equipment trailer was not injured, police said.
The driver was not identified by police, who said they had no information Wednesday night on how the trailer separated from the truck. The Ford 2120 tractor, often used for landscaping, came off the trailer and landed in the windshield of Constantini's vehicle. Seay's white Lincoln Mark VIII was hit by the trailer, which "split it slap in half," said Kevin Hempfleng, assistant fire chief with the Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department.
The wreck happened at about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 98 near Gabel Street in Montrose, about a half mile south of Daphne. Highway traffic was rerouted to Scenic 98 and to the U.S. 98 service road for three hours as police investigated the accident. "There were no fires, but there was a lot of oil on the ground," Hempfleng said.
Firefighters poured an oil-drying agent on the ground until investigators were able to move the vehicles for the firefighters to clean up the spill. Two tow trucks carried away the two parts of the Lincoln. Another tow truck was used for the tractor and still another for the SUV.
A trailer carried stray parts from all of the vehicles. Shattered glass from the vehicles covered the northbound lanes until firefighters were able to wash it away just before 6 p.m. Matthew Karpanty and Joe Koen had just pulled out of nearby Lucassen Paint and Body and were driving on the U.S. 98 service road when they saw the wreck. "There was a sound of crunching, splitting metal. Then a bunch of people stopped," Karpanty said. Workers at Bay Animal Clinic said they heard what sounded like thunder outside their office.
A few, including Sheila Hinckley, rushed outside to see if they could help. Hinckley, a veterinarian tech, grabbed sponges from the clinic and took them outside. She ran to the SUV and tried to control Constantini's bleeding and breathing. "I thought he was taking his last breaths as we were holding him," she said.
By RENA HAVNER Staff Reporter MONTROSE - One man was killed and another was critically injured Wednesday when a heavy equipment trailer broke loose from its truck and careened into oncoming traffic on U.S. 98, slicing a car in half and dumping a tractor that crushed another vehicle. Richard Constantini, 45, of Fairhope was killed when the Ford tractor landed on top of his sport utility vehicle, according to police.
Rescue workers had to use an extraction tool to remove Constantini from the wreckage. He was declared dead at the scene, police said. Dr. James Seay, 71, of Fairhope was injured when his full-size car was torn into two parts by the impact.
Seay, a surgeon at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, was taken by SouthFlite helicopter to the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile.
He was listed in critical condition Wednesday night.
An unidentified passenger in Seay's car was not injured, said police. "Seat belts, airbags, there's nothing that would have made any difference in this wreck," said Sgt. Thomas Garrett of the Fairhope Police Department. "I've seen worse wrecks. But this one was bad." The driver of the southbound truck and equipment trailer was not injured, police said.
The driver was not identified by police, who said they had no information Wednesday night on how the trailer separated from the truck. The Ford 2120 tractor, often used for landscaping, came off the trailer and landed in the windshield of Constantini's vehicle. Seay's white Lincoln Mark VIII was hit by the trailer, which "split it slap in half," said Kevin Hempfleng, assistant fire chief with the Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department.
The wreck happened at about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 98 near Gabel Street in Montrose, about a half mile south of Daphne. Highway traffic was rerouted to Scenic 98 and to the U.S. 98 service road for three hours as police investigated the accident. "There were no fires, but there was a lot of oil on the ground," Hempfleng said.
Firefighters poured an oil-drying agent on the ground until investigators were able to move the vehicles for the firefighters to clean up the spill. Two tow trucks carried away the two parts of the Lincoln. Another tow truck was used for the tractor and still another for the SUV.
A trailer carried stray parts from all of the vehicles. Shattered glass from the vehicles covered the northbound lanes until firefighters were able to wash it away just before 6 p.m. Matthew Karpanty and Joe Koen had just pulled out of nearby Lucassen Paint and Body and were driving on the U.S. 98 service road when they saw the wreck. "There was a sound of crunching, splitting metal. Then a bunch of people stopped," Karpanty said. Workers at Bay Animal Clinic said they heard what sounded like thunder outside their office.
A few, including Sheila Hinckley, rushed outside to see if they could help. Hinckley, a veterinarian tech, grabbed sponges from the clinic and took them outside. She ran to the SUV and tried to control Constantini's bleeding and breathing. "I thought he was taking his last breaths as we were holding him," she said.
Copyright 2000, Mobile Register. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: MERLIN_459749
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