Wreck sends two to hospital
By Staff Reports
Published in News on September 6, 2015 1:50 AM
The driver and passenger of a red GMC Canyon pickup truck were taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital with serious injuries Friday after the truck became airborne, inverted and struck a parked truck..
The accident took place at the First Citizens Bank at intersection of North Spence Avenue and East Ash Street at 1:04 p.m.
Capt. T.J. Underwood of the Goldsboro Fire Department said the driver of the GMC struck the guidewire of a light pole which forced the vehicle to overturn. The impact cause the transformer atop the lightpole to arc, which caused a bush at the base of the pole to catch fire.
"The (truck) was upside down with two patients inside," Underwood said.
He said the GMC struck the second truck, a black Ford Tundra, while upside down and hit it with enough force to push the parked vehicle 7 to 8 feet.
"They were screaming for help, so we calmed them down and told them help was on the way," Underwood said.
First Citizens Bank employee Wes Newcomb said he did not see what caused the crash, but he witnessed the truck flip over.
"The only thing I saw was when he was airborne," Newcomb said.
He described the sound of the transformer exploding as "a boom."
Firefighters routinely train for extrication scenarios such as the one they encountered Friday. The goal each time is to have all patients fully extricated and ready for transport within 10 minutes.
On Friday, the Goldsboro Fire Department was able to get both passengers out in less than 10 minutes. The victims were free of the vehicle by 1:16 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Frank Sasser said.
According to the Goldsboro police report, Roychester Lee Brodie, 68, 204 S. Spence Ave., was traveling west on East Ash Street when he reportedly lost consciousness, accelerated and the vehicle left the roadway, jumped the roadway and ran into some bushes at First Citizens Bank before becoming airborne. The vehicle struck a Duke Energy utility pole before rolling over and crashing into an unoccupied parked vehicle.
A third vehicle, driven by Rodney Lee Thompson 50, 105 Callie Drive, became involved when it was struck by the guidewire from the utility pole, receiving $500 damage to the vehicle. There was also an estimated $1,000 damage to the utility pole and $250 worth of damage to the bushes.
Brodie and a passenger, Annie Raynor Brodie, were taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital. According to a nursing supervisor Saturday night, Ms. Brodie was treated and released, but there was no record of Brodie's status.
The police report indicated that Brodie was charged with failure to maintain lane control. Damage to his vehicle was estimated at $15,000, with an estimated $10,000 damage to the parked vehicle.