News - Page 2

Continued from Page 1
CARLSBAD CURRENT-ARGUS
WlPP driver avoids collision

Meanwhile, more vehicles were becoming involved in the pile-up.
Beene said he figured there were 12 vehicles when they came upon the scene, and authorities now estimate at least 35 ultimately were involved.
For co-driver Claude Beebe, of Jal, the sudden feeling of brakes slamming and the truck going off the road woke him up.
He quickly got dressed and ran toward the wreck to see if anybody needed help, he said.
"There was one truck that was stuck in the rubble, and I could hear a man in there hollering for help," he said.
Beebe said he was among about five people who tried a number of things to free the man, including removing rubble. Finally, a firefighter was able to get the driver to a spot where they could get to him and pull him out.
The driver couldn't move his legs and was in a lot of pain, Beebe said.
A few minutes later, the truck was engulfed in flames, which were jumping from rig to rig, he said. Seven tractor-trailer rigs and three cars were burned, according to Associated Press reports.
Beebe said it appeared the man's truck would have hit the WlPP truck from behind if Beene hadn't gotten it off of the road.
, Beebe placed his coat on the driver, as he only had a t-shirt on and it was cold and raining, and he ran back to the WlPP truck to get bedding to cover him.
Beebe also used some first aid training to help get the driver into an ambulance that arrived.
"I never had to use it before,. he said, "but you never know when you might need to."
Beebe received treatment himself for smoke inhalation. He said his adrenaline likely kept him going.
Although numerous folks stood by and watched, Beebe downplayed his role in providing assistance.
"I would hope that anybody would do what I did,. he said. "I don't feel like I did anything heroic. It was something that needed to be done..
Beebe has been driving, including over the road, for almost 30 years and said he'd heard about accidents like this one but had never seen one firsthand.
"It shows (WlPP's) protocol and criteria for safety are a pretty good thing," he said. Beebe said people on the scene thought the WlPP truck should head out, but they needed to wait for a state police escort. That took until mid-afternoon as law enforcement had its hands full, he said.
They were escorted to Cheyenne, Wyo., and the truck was parked overnight at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. An inspection showed no release of radionuclides, Beene said.
Beebe may be growing leery about entering the sleeper compartment while in
Wyoming.
A couple of years ago, he was also awakened when a WlPP truck left 1-80 in the state. In that incident, the driver had blacked out.
Beebe said law enforcement personnel praised Beene's driving skills and were very thankful the truck wasn't involved in the pile-up.
"This is the worst crash I've seen in my 24 years with the patrol,. Sgt. Steve Townsend, with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, told The Associated Press. "... we were very fortunate no tankers or (hazardous materials) carriers were involved. It could have been much worse..
Heavy fog, wet roads and speeding drivers are believed to be factors in up to six separate collisions, but officials don't know exacUy what touched them off.
Close to 40 people were hospitalized, and four bodies were found in the wreckage. Traffic was backed up 25 miles before a 60-mile detour was set, up.
Crews worked around the clock to clear the wreckage and repair a 100-foot section of roadway damaged by fire.
The collisions occurred in a stretch through the Laramie Mountains notorious for treacherous conditions, although not usually in the summer.

Copyright@ 2004 Carlsbad Current-Argus,
a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper.

Home | About Us | Mission | Contact US | Employment Opportunities | Site Map
© Cast Transportation 2007

Address Website matters to webadmin@casttrans.com