Feedback - Crash on I-75 kills two, causes radioactive scare

[Jose Julio Rozental <joseroze@netvision.net.il>]

Feedback - Interesting for training, considering different sources and scenarios



Jose Julio Rozental

joseroze@netvision.net.il

Israel





http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/033004/tp1ch15.htm?date=033004&story=tp1ch15.htm



Crash on I-75 kills two, causes radioactive scare 



A pickup truck carrying radioactive material crashed into a tree on Interstate 75 between the Jones Loop Road and U.S. 17 exits late Monday afternoon, killing both occupants. 

The radioactive material, used for surveying and to check the density of concrete and asphalt, was in one of the boxes thrown from the truck was deemed not to be a serious threat to anyone, said Wayne Sallade, director of Charlotte County Emergency Management. 

The wreck occurred about 5 p.m., and shut down the southbound lanes of the interstate for about three hours. 

Traffic was diverted off I-75 on to U.S. 17 (exit 164) and Harborview Road (exit 167). Deputies directed vehicles to U.S. 41. That main road through Punta Gorda was jammed with vehicles. 

A 24-year-old man, whose name was not available late Monday, died at the scene after being helped out of the wreckage by passers-by. 

The second man, whose age and name was not available, was removed from the wreckage by Charlotte County Fire & EMS rescuers. The man was flown to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, but died a short time later. 

Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Conner Cardwell said the truck was traveling south, near mile-marker 163, when it apparently veered left, over-corrected and then went off the west side of the highway before slamming into a tree about 40 feet from the road. 

The force of the crash twisted the vehicle so that the passenger compartment was not recognizable. The truck came to rest on its left side and the impact tore the bark off the tree. 

Conner said it was unclear why the vehicle lost control. The truck did not have any flat tires. 

The radioactive material was in a metal box which was among others scattered amid the truck's contents about 50 feet from the mangled vehicle. 

"Our crews isolated the area and called in the Special Operations team," said Dee Hawkins, the Fire & EMS spokeswoman, of finding that the material might be radioactive. 

Team members donned protective gear to examine the truck and its cargo. 

After more than an hour of examining the paperwork in the truck and the containers, the contents were deemed safe, Hawkins said. 

"They had to be cautious because once they see that radiation sign they know they are dealing with something potentially dangerous," she said. 

Cedric Dukes, a truck driver from Miami, was directly behind the truck and saw it lose control and flip before hitting the tree. 

Dukes and others rushed to the passengers because it was leaking fuel and they feared it would explode. 

When he got there, he found one passenger unconscious and draped on the driver side door. He said the other passenger was also unconscious and looked to be seriously injured. 

"I saw the whole thing and I wanted to get my truck past the wreck just in case it did explode," Dukes said. "We helped get the driver out. He was out, and then he came to a bit. Then they gave him CPR and he died." 

About two hours after the wreck, Dukes and Freda Davis, of Port Charlotte, were among the witnesses checked for radiation. They were cleared. 

"We don't know which one was driving because you know during an accident, people can move around," Davis said. 

Following the crash, traffic was stopped, and northbound traffic also backed up near the crash scene. About 8:15 p.m. the southbound lanes were opened. 

You can e-mail Christian Czerwinski at cczerwinski@sun-herald.com. 



By CHRISTIAN CZERWINSKI