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One Injured In Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Car Versus Semi Crash
August 30, 2012
A Molino woman was injured in a wreck involving a semi-truck and a car midday Thursday in Molino.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 64-year old Patsy Settles of Molino was southbound on Highway 29 when a semi-truck turned from a northbound turn lane on Highway 29 into her path about noon.
The FHP said the driver of the semi, 45-year old Ricardo Valdes-Suarez of Miami, failed to see Settles’ 2003 Jaguar due to another semi-truck stopped in a southbound turn lane on Highway 29.
Settles was trapped in her vehicle for a brief period of time while rescuers used the Jaws of Life to free her. She was was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition.
Valdes-Suarez was cited for violation of right of way.
The Molino, McDavid, Cantonment and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: One person was injured in this Thursday accident at Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
20 Responses to “One Injured In Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Car Versus Semi Crash”
This dangerous intersection just keeps getting worse and worse. PLEASE, everyone pay attention to traffic in ALL directions before proceeding in any direction.
Prayers go out to Patsy for a full recovery. God has her in the palm of His hand.
Thank you, LORD.
All the comments about a light, traffic sign, etc…is this really going to help? I mean you have one comment on here – about having to look toward the back of your car – if you are doing this, you have passed the STOP SIGN and the nose of your vehicle is already in the turn lane in front of the Tom Thumb.
You can get a full size truck in the Tom Thumb -IF you know how to drive one. Last pump behind the store and a straight out exit to the south side. If you can fit a truck and 4-horse, living quarters and extra tack room in there, a can fit a tractor and trailer.
Curse the truck driver now. Let them continue having this law and that law handed down on them and see when your toilet tissue, toothpaste, deodorant, etc hits your local store! Do not forget the coffee, soda and/or tea you drink daily.
I am glad everyone is good. Could have been very bad from the looks of the picture. A lack of judgement was being used by the driver of the truck. How fast was the car going? Anyone know…? Blame can not be placed on one and not the other just because she is known. 55 is the POSTED SPEED LIMIT where this occurred.
I am for good COMMON SENSE being used. Not throwing stones in a glass house either. Traffic lights and more of this stuff is not going to help in my opinion. What happens when you just do not stop? You still have an accident. COMMON SENSE will help.
**PLEASE READ**
Mrs. Pat, you and your family are in my prayers, I know what all of you are going through. It can be a life changing experience for your entire family. We’ll be checking on ya and praying for ya! Love ya Girl!! This is a bad intersection and so is Old Palafox and Old Chemstrand where my husband and I were in a horrible accident over two years ago. I’ve been involved in bringing attention to this intersection, a couple changes have been made but not nearly enough. The fire department and the highway patrol both say that this is the worst intersection north of 10 Mile Rd. A much needed light was installed at Ten Mile Rd and one at Kingsfield and Old Palafox. At the ” worst intersection” (Old Palafox and Old Chemstrand) why was a light removed!?!? Need your help … anyone and everyone that has had either an accident or a very close call there would you PLEASE COMMENT so we ALL can have something done. I have not stayed on this nor on them like I should have. It’s so easy to put things on the back burner with our busy lives and then have regrets. Mrs. Pat your accident has put a fire under me and I can only hope many others. There needs to be attention and action brought to both of these intersections. We need a public out cry from the entire community for something to be done now not later. They say they are gathering information for six months before and six months after – it’s been two and a half years. How many more wrecks (or lives wrecked) are there going to be before something is done. Even if it was just one that might have been prevented it’s worth it. Thank you in advance for your attention and comments for this very important matter.
I see the peanut man =]
Hope shes okay.
My thoughts and prayers are with you Mrs. Pat and the family! I love you!
My thoughts and prayers are the family! I love you Mrs. Pat!
Thank you Kevin, it seems some truckers need to be educated on that. Most of them after a few months of driving feel as though they own the road and everyone else must deal with it and their are no rules for them other than logs and weight limits (and most have two log books the real one and one they show DOT).
Tim B, I do not have a problem with truckers, I have a problem with lazy irresponsible truckers. My best friend is a cross country trucker, one family member is a local trucker, and one is a regional trucker. Plus my dad was a trucker while I was growing up. Oh and my neighbor is a trucker… So yeah I know a few truckers and about being a trucker. All but one of them I mentioned has driven for hmm… 15-20+ years without a blemish, one of them for 40+ years with only a few minor infractions.
Part of the problem at this intersection is that people do not understand how to make a turn when another vehicle is also turning. If both vehicles would pass each other in the turn lane and then both people could see if any other cars are coming. Also when they are turning north on 29, off of 97, they will cut across instead of coming straight into the turn lane.
Said it before…a traffic light might help cut down on accidents at this intersection. It is a bad intersection…there are too many ways you have to watch at once before even thinking about entering hwy. 29, crossing it or getting onto 97.
Thank you for Prayers and concerns… Patsy went thru surgery late this evening, all went good. Please keep Patsy and our Family in your prayers, she will have a long road of recovery ahead of her. And a big thank you for the EMT’s who got to her quickly and taking good care of her…
TIM B
in reguard to your comment about the legality of truck drivers park on the road i work for the DOT in georgia but the federal guidlines stat the following. any commercial vehicle or recreational vehicle exceeding 32ft in lenght and 10 foot in height can not park on the shoulders on any main highway unless in distress and then the driver muct take necesarry precautions and put distress signs aka red and orange triangles. If not in distress the driver must park a minimum ofr 30 foot from the shoulder of the road.
The truck was not park it was turning on to south 97 …..look at the pic car going south truck going north on 97 the other truck was turning south on 97 from 29……
To mnon, the size of the Tom Thumb parking lot has been increase. It is big enough for a dump truck or two but not for a full size rig of over 65 feet. It is sometimes necessary to park on the side of the road as there are very few parking spots available, and with flashers on it is not illegal. As for calling the FDOT, good luck as they don’t usually respond to frivolous complaints by uninformed citizens. FDOT is busy enough with trying to keep the trucks and drivers in a safe condition so that accidents don’t happen due to faulty equipment or drivers. It sounds like you have a personal problem with truckers. Please remember that all that you wear, drive, eat, and live in were brought by a truck. If everyone, truckers included would pay more attention then we’d all be a lot safer. Please, all be safe.
What really bugs me about this intersection other than looking at the back of your car to see what is coming down the road, is the fact trucker drivers park on the sides of the road where ever they feel like it! Then on top of looking at your feet to see on coming traffic you have to guess if something is coming around the parked semi! Very dangerous! It should be a DOT violation to park on the side of the road near an intersection to go get a bucket of chicken. Here’s a clue for you truckers, Tom Thumb made their parking lot 3x bigger, swing in there and park in the back! It is not going to shave that much off your log time to do that than to park on the side of the road blocking line of sight and causing something like this to happen!
I would encourage anyone at this intersection that has an issue seeing traffic because of a parked semi on the side of the road to call the DOT on them. I know I will from now on.
Pat, My heart & prayers go out to you for a complete recovery. I am so very sorry things like this happen. Call me if & when you feel like it. Please ‘keep the faith’. Love You Always, Jay
Anyone know Patsy’s condition. I am pretty sure she was a Tate classmate. Hope all is well Patsy. Car is not in too good shape, but hope you are ok, girl!
Will be thinking and praying for you! Get back 100%.
David Lamb
He didn’t have a clear view and turned anyway? Smart driving.
They should have spent money on traffic signals instead of a turn lane.
Praying for you!!!
This is a typical day at hwy29 and hwy97 intersection. Will be glad when they can put a working light i know it wont solve the problems with these drivers but maybe it will help some. most of the time is people making U-turns into or coming from Tom Thumb to head up hwy 29 and yes i have even seen cops making that same stupid moves.