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Accident on the Thruway

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remo williams

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Thruway crash victims were truckers for New England Motor Freight
By Hema Easley
The Journal News
(Original Publication: March 13, 2007)

TUXEDO - Police have released the identities of the two men killed in a fatal crash early this morning on the New York State Thruway.

John Johnson, 27, of Baltimore, Md., was driving a motor freight-tractor trailer north on the Thruway when he hit a guard rail, swerved to regain control and then slammed into a tractor-trailer parked off the right shoulder, state police said.

The collision caused the rear wheels of the parked tractor-trailer to run over Gary Akehurst, 57, of Fallston, Md., who had gotten out of the truck.

Johnson's tractor-trailer skidded to the left and then burst into flames just below the Arden Station Road bridge over the Thruway. Both men died on the scene.

Both men worked for New England Motor Freight, a large trucking company that operates in the Northeastern and Midwestern states, said Zone Sgt. James Whittel of the New York State Police. They were headed for the New England Motor Freight terminal in Maybrook in Orange County.

Maryland state police and Baltimore city police informed the victims' families about noon, Whittel said.

Their bodies were taken to Cornwall, N.Y., for autopsies.

"We have absolutely no idea what caused it," said Whittel, who was at the accident scene. "We are hoping the autopsy will give us a little more information."

The accident closed the northbound Thruway for more than nine hours. State police kept the lanes closed to get the tractor-trailers to be cleared and to allow the state Department of Environmental Conservation to clear away hazardous material.

One tractor-trailer was carrying home improvement material, some of which was hazardous.

Two of three northbound lanes reopened about 11:30 a.m.

Today's fatal crash occurred on a deadly section of roadway.

Three crashes in a five-week period from February 2006 to the middle of March that year left nine people dead, including five children.

After the series of crashes last year, a team of engineers surveyed the stretch between exits 15A and 16 and concluded that it wasn't exceptionally hazardous.

Read more about this story tomorrow in The Journal News.



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This is truly sad. I hope the company steps up and does something for these mens families.
 
i saw this on the news this morning while getting dressed. i saw the NEMF trailer with it's back crushed with frt. splattered on the ground. i had no idea that it was 2 NEMF trailers though. this is terrible. my heart goes out to their families.
 
One good thing about NEMF is the owner is very family oriented.he will do for these familes.
Down here in Falconer NY we had a driver lose 3 out of 4 of his kids in a house fire.Mr.Shevell and his daughter personelly came here to the kids viewing and handed the driver a check.Thats something people should think about.
 
from what i was told, the driver who had the set of pups was pulled over checking his set when the other driver slammed into the set. one of their bodies was so burned up from the tractor catching on fire that doctors were told they would be no viewing for anyone. a true tragedy. i searched a couple of places for pics of this horrible accident but have yet to come up with anything.
 
I work for NEMF's Sister Company Carriers out of Fishkill. This was a sad tragedy. They were both pulling 53's, no pups. Looks like the older guy stopped to take a leak. He was standing on the right side of the trailer when the other guy hit the guard rail on the left and swerved back into the back of the parked rig. It pinned the older gentleman under his trailer wheels and crushed him.

This is a family oriented company and they do care about you so that will help.

Here's the pics:

recordonline.com - Article Photo Zoom,,
 
Wow. There was a memo posted at my terminal about the funeral which was the first I heard about it. I was wondering if maybe they were traveling together in a personal vehicle because the chances of two of our trucks crashing I think is kind of low. That's exactly why you don't pull over on the side of the road. You always hear about trucks getting hit on the side of the road but people still do it when unnecessary. Those are some disturbing pictures especially when it's your own company know that it could've been you.
 
NEMF said:
Wow. There was a memo posted at my terminal about the funeral which was the first I heard about it. I was wondering if maybe they were traveling together in a personal vehicle because the chances of two of our trucks crashing I think is kind of low. That's exactly why you don't pull over on the side of the road. You always hear about trucks getting hit on the side of the road but people still do it when unnecessary. Those are some disturbing pictures especially when it's your own company know that it could've been you.
Click to expand...

Though I'm not saying he didn't have a good reason, but a lot of times they don't. Like the one truck driver I heard about pulling over to walk his dog and was hit by another truck and killed. My heart goes out to these drivers friends and families.
 
As a city driver working on my 44th year.
And also a UPS Freight driver safety trainer,with 20.5 years with them now.

Looking at this accident as a bystander,but with many years,and a few mishaps of my own over my long trucking carrer.

This is my opinon.

Any distraction,at high speeds,given the reaction time to recover a wrong move,plus the condition of the driver,being fresh and wide awake,or tired from whatever his day,or night of activity was.

And this can be the cause of any accident.
The faster your going,the longer you've been awake,the slower your reaction time.
Any distraction,it only takes as little as one small split second to lose your focus,on what you are doing to take,your life,or change it forever.

Over the years I'm speaking from experience I've had a few accidents myself that I really shouldn't still be a live.
Two big ones that if it was not for the Hand of God,(no other explanation) I came very close to death.
Both of thoese accidents weren't my fault,but it was only a very small momment in time from start to finsh,with me thanking God for sparing my life each time.

There you have it this is how I see that whatever happend here none of use will really ever know?
We can only take a guess!

May God comfort all the loved ones left behind from this traggic loss.
 
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