No Serious Injuries In Friday Morning Highway 97 Wreck

November 27, 2009

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Two people received minor injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident Friday morning in Walnut Hill.

97wiggins11.jpgThe accident happened on Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road. The Florida Highway Patrol says Benjamin Hess, 19, of Atmore, failed to negotiate a curve while headed north on Highway 97. His 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix went airborne over a driveway and overturned in a ditch before coming to rest upright. Hess and his passenger, Trey Lambert, of Atmore, were not seriously injured.  Both were wearing their seat belts. They refused to be transported to the hospital.

The FHP says Hess was cited with failure to use due care.

Atmore Ambulance, the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the call.

Pictured above and below: Two people escaped serious injury in this accident Friday morning on Highway 97 Pictured inset: A front tire was ripped off the vehicle when it hit a culvert. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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Comments

15 Responses to “No Serious Injuries In Friday Morning Highway 97 Wreck”

  1. whitepunknotondope on November 30th, 2009 12:05 pm

    “I’m done now. You may commence with your mindless, uninformed assumptions.”

    Funny and well put.

  2. friend of the family on November 30th, 2009 12:01 pm

    It was lack of sleep. Not drugs, not drinking, not texting, not talking on the phone, not reaching for something on the floorboard… he simply was tired and fell asleep. All of us are thankful they were both wearing their seatbelts. That is truely what saved their lives.

  3. more things to consider on November 30th, 2009 11:26 am

    I think that sometimes people just plain make mistakes and accidents happen. Maybe that is what happened this time?
    I am familiar with this road as someone mentioned this guy was, but I still have to pay attention to avoid mistakes. My Aunt was familiar with this road and had an “accident” and paid with her life. A simple mistake.

    Quit assuming the worst.

  4. stereotyped teen on November 30th, 2009 10:01 am

    He was probably high. He was also clearly drinking. Maybe suicidal. He was also probably messing with the radio, and texting while going 95 to 100 MPH and fully engaged in conversation with the passenger. Because every time a young person has a traffic accident, thats what the cause was. Maybe in his drugged, drunk state of mind he thought it would be fun to see how high he could jump the car across that culvert.

    Maybe all the adults that post comments on this site can’t read. Half of these statements y’all made contradict what’s in the article. The other half of you either haven’t read or have forgotten the few simple rules this site asks y’all to follow.

    I’m done now. You may commence with your mindless, uninformed assumptions.

  5. LA on November 28th, 2009 10:55 pm

    The cause of the accident wasn’t speeding or some kind of distraction. it was a lack of sleep. “Failure to use due care,” was an appropriate citation. In hindsight, he should NOT have been driving, (obviously). But the important thing is that, they are both okay. it really isn’t fair to assume the driver was speeding, not wearing a seat belt, texting, talking on the phone, OR talking to the SLEEPING passenger.

  6. Doug Masters on November 28th, 2009 1:18 pm

    “Failure to use due care” That category includes speeding, wreckless driving, careless driving, failing to yield right of way and overall just not paying attention, just to name some. The trooper wrote that citation because it is a blanket ticket. He could not pinpoint the exact cause, so he wrote that one.

  7. Brenda on November 27th, 2009 10:34 pm

    “The FHP says Hess was cited with failure to use due care.” Obviously, this guy was NOT paying attention. Otherwise, this pretty car would be in one piece and he would have gotten to his destination without incident. Please be careful out there.

  8. Dixie Chick on November 27th, 2009 9:11 pm

    I wish people would read the story before they comment on it. Their reading comprehension must not be very good.

  9. JJ on November 27th, 2009 8:27 pm

    They may not have gotten hurt, but it probably scared the hooey out of them. Hitting that concrete hard enough to tear a wheel off, going airborne, airbags going off, flipping, landing, glass breaking etc…. I bet it was noisy and violent.

  10. interested reader on November 27th, 2009 7:44 pm

    “Failed to negotiate a curve” probably means one of the following! going too fast, texting, talking on phone, chatting with passenger and not paying attention to the road, or just negilent. He lived in Atmore so I’m sure he was familiar with the road. Thank the good Lord they were not seriously injured. I’m sure their families are saying an extra prayer of thanksgiving today.

  11. NF on November 27th, 2009 4:09 pm

    Glad that everyone was okay.

  12. name on November 27th, 2009 1:53 pm

    The article says they were wearing seat belts. The accident was not a result of speeding, the driver, “failed to negotiate a curve.”

  13. Doug Masters on November 27th, 2009 12:26 pm

    By the damage of the vehicle, I would say speeding was the cause. I am glad they were not hurt. They walked away without any injuries. Seatbelts or not, God had to have been watching over them.

  14. northendbratt on November 27th, 2009 11:42 am

    the article says they were wearing seat belts. Duh!

  15. Cynical on November 27th, 2009 11:23 am

    If these guys weren’t wearing seat belts, then angels must have been guarding the road.

    And if they were. . . then they are smarter than we think.