Falling asleep, icy roads, and alcohol are causes
Three accidents in six hours keep officers busy
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Within a six-hour time span, officers from the Ripley County Sheriff's Department, responded to three separate accidents, where two people were transported to area hospitals, two were treated at the scene and released, and one driver escaped injury altogether.

The first incident occurred at approximately 10:50 p.m., when James Connerley, 39, of Mitchell fell asleep and drove his 1998 Freightliner off the roadway tipping it on its side.

The tanker was full of agricultural lime when it was driven off US 50 into a pond owned by Kim Hoffman of Versailles (near the NAPA store). Sgt. Marvin Smith of the sheriff's department responded and noted that "only the force of the trailer going past the cab, pulled the cab of the truck out of the water before rolling onto its side and coming to rest about 30 feet beyond the pond."

Connerley escaped injury. The truck received heavy damage, along with the pond's dam, bushes and landscaping in the area.

No product was spilled and removal of the truck and trailer was postponed until after daylight on Wednesday, due to the location, weather and the fact that another truck with special equipment had to be brought in to unload the product.

Sgt. Smith was assisted by Indiana State Police, Conservation Of
ficer Steve Miller, Osgood Marshal Rodney Stepleton, Versailles Fire, Rescue 69, Task Unit 61 and the Holton Fire Department.

The next accident Sgt. Smith responded to was on Wednesday morn
ing, April 14, at about 4:02 a.m. when a Milan man was injured in a single vehicle accident.

Sgt. Smith said alcohol was a factor in this accident that left Thomas E. Montgomery, 20, with a head injury and cuts.

According to information from the sheriff's department, Montgomery was driving a red 1989 Ford Probe west on Eastern Avenue in Sunman, when he struck a telephone pole. He was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown forward into the windshield with enough force to break the windshield and leave an impression of the driver's head in it.

Montgomery was taken to Margaret Mary Hospital by another person before officers arrived on the scene. He was treated and released.

The accident is still under investigation by Sgt. Smith who was assisted by Milan Officer Gary Skaggs and at the hospital by Batesville Officer Jeff Thielking.

The third accident occurred around 5:19 a.m. Wednesday morning, April 14, and was due to the icy road conditions.

According to Sheriff Bill Davison, Christy R. Eckstein, 24, of Madison, was eastbound on US 50 when she lost control of her vehicle on the bridge by the Versailles State Park entrance due to the ice that had covered the bridge.

Sheriff Davison noted that the vehicle spun around, impacted the bridge wall and flipped onto the passenger side, then back up on its wheels, coming to rest on the bridge.

U.S. 50 was closed for approximately one hour. Passengers in the Eckstein vehicle were Sandra Kay Mulford, 30, of Versailles, and Lora J. Sexton, 30, also from Versailles. Both were treated at the scene and released.

Eckstein was transported to King's Daughters' Hospital by Rescue 69, where she was treated for head, neck and arm injuries.

Assisting Sheriff Davison at the scene were Deputy Bill Dramann, ISP Sgt. Noel Houze Jr., Rescue 69, EMS Paramedics, Ohio County Sheriff deputies, and the Indiana State Highway Department.

WOODY BUSH PHOTO

Around 11:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, April 13, this rig driven by James Connerley, 39, of Mitchell, was overturned after he said he fell asleep while driving westbound on US 50 in Versailles. The vehicle actually went into the pond and back out to rest on its side. The driver was not injured in the incident.