Them ain't logo's; them's headlights, and one isn't working.
Posted on 11/16/2006 8:48:57 AM PST by CedarDave
SANTA FE— About a dozen motorists phoned to warn police Saturday evening that a pickup truck was headed the wrong way on Interstate 25.
But Santa Fe Sheriff Greg Solano said there simply was not enough time to stop drunken driver Dana Papst from crashing his truck head-on into a minivan and killing five members of a Las Vegas, N.M., family [and himself].
One caller reported that she had just seen a Dodge truck make a U-turn on the interstate near the Eldorado exit east of Santa Fe and head the wrong way in northbound lanes, according to tape recordings of cell-phone calls to emergency dispatchers released Wednesday.
"He just about hit us," the cell-phone caller said, her voice shaking.
That tragic mistake took place about five miles east of where Papst's truck slammed head-on into the van about 8 p.m., Solano said.
Another motorist who saw the wrong-way vehicle said, "It looked as if something on the bottom was catching fire, and it's kind of really spooky out here."...
There were also reports that Papst's truck had only one headlight working.
Also Wednesday, a Colorado woman told the Journal that Papst never slowed down or veered away as he clipped her rental van and ran two other vehicles off the road in the moments before the fatal collision.
Solano said two additional witnesses— from Las Vegas— also reported to dispatchers that they saw the northbound truck make the U-turn. Solano said the call from the Las Vegas witnesses was disconnected due to loss of cell service in the mountainous stretch, but dispatchers did call back and talk to the witnesses. He didn't know how much time was lost between the calls but said there probably wasn't time to respond before the crash took place.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
Out of the tragedy, a case of strangers helping strangers. The Case family was traveling to Las Vegas in a rented van and passengers included two elderly parents. They were sideswiped by Pabst and barely kept control, although the van was badly damaged. A car moved to the side to let the driver escape the headon. From the Journal:
Case said the car that had pulled over to give her room stopped as well. Inside were two college students who stayed at the scene for three hours, until after 11 p.m., to make sure she and her elderly parents were OK.
"If I am ever again in the life-threatening cold and dark, I want to be in New Mexico," she said. "I know I won't be left there alone." The young men stayed until a volunteer sheriff's deputy arrived and even then didn't leave until the family was sure to make it to safety in a Santa Fe hotel.
A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Friday at the John A. Wilson Complex at New Mexico Highlands University, and the funeral will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the same location. Burial will be at St. Anthony's Cemetery. Prayers for the family and the lone survivor, another daughter, 15, who is suddenly left with no family.
Previous threads here:
Governor: Airlines need to watch out for drunken passengers (NM-Richardson, six dead in DWI) ^
Driver Had 5 DWI Arrests; Crash Claimed His Life, 5 Others (NM) ^
Beer, Wine Sold at Aggie Games
Beginning with the New Mexico State University's men's basketball home opener Tuesday at the Pan American Center and continuing for at least the next four home games, Aggie fans can have a cup of beer or wine along with their hot dogs.
NMSU Athletic Director McKinley Boston said the idea came out of focus groups held over the summer, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported today on its Web site.
"We asked our season ticket holders, boosters and students ... and one of the things that consistently came up was they'd be interested in drinking a beer or a glass of wine," Boston told the Sun-News.
If the public likes the change, Boston said, beer and wine sales will be extended throughout the season.
No beer and wine are sold at NMSU football or baseball games, and sales at the basketball games stop at half-time, the Sun-News reported.
9:25am -- Beer, Wine Sold at Aggie Games
This sucks..
This same thing happened to my oldest brother about 10 years ago here in CT on Route 8. Some drunk loser / uninsured welfare mama hopped on rt 8 going the wrong way and she hit my brother head on. He suffered severe injuries including but not limited to a fractured skull, broken hip, broken femur, several broken ribs, broken arm and shattered wrist, broken jaw and lost most of his lower teeth. Obviously he had to be cut out of his car with a Hurst Rescue tool (saw).
He capped out his own insurance and is now, ten years later finally getting his life back together. I have no pity for drunk drivers. Let 'em walk.
Them ain't logo's; them's headlights, and one isn't working.
I once heard a cop on the radio saying that at night, it's best to not drive in the fast lane if you can't see brake tail lights ahead of you, because a drunk driver who realizes he could be pulled over will try to be inconspicuous by driving in the slow lane. The problem is, when they become disoriented and end up going the wrong way in what they think is the slow lane, that puts them in the fast lane coming at you.
DWI will continue to be a problem in the People's Republic of New Mexico as long as the proletariate keeps electing the same bourgeoisie.
Sincerely,
A New Mexican in exile
That used to be my exit!! I loved NM and El Dorado but there is far too much DWI going on there.
I don't understand why they didn't dispatch a SF Co deputy..
I'm guessing that he used a lot of differant things...
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