Molino Man Seriously Injured In Quintette Road Wreck

January 16, 2013

A Molino man was seriously injured in a Santa Rosa  tractor-trailer accident between Pace and the Escambia River early Wednesday morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol said 53-year old Oby Glenn Melvin of Pace was traveling west on Quintette Road at Wallace Lake Road when he attempted a U-turn in front of  54-year old Christoper T. Johnson of Molino.

The south shoulder of Quintette Road was wet and the tractor-trailer’s tires slid during the U-turn, resulting in the tractor sliding into the tree line while the pole trailer stopped across the eastbound lane.

As Johnson continued east, he did not see the trailer to due the darkness and no functioning side markers on the trailer. Johnson’s 2003 Toyota Corolla struck the rear tire assembly of the pole trailer.

Johnson was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance. Charges against Melvin are pending further investigation, according to the FHP.

Comments

8 Responses to “Molino Man Seriously Injured In Quintette Road Wreck”

  1. Derrick Benton on January 24th, 2013 11:25 pm

    You no i don’t ever hear people talking bad about loggers when they are building a new house are yall are copying something on paper you might want to think where all of that comes from . I am a logger you have to go to make a living just go buy you a couple hundred gallons of deisal it is not cheap

  2. 429SCJ on January 19th, 2013 6:03 am

    These trucks can be dangerous. Some drivers are good, some bad.

    These trucks have to be insured by an insurance company. If you see a truck being driven recklessly, get the tag number (if it has one) and company name and forward that information to the American Insurance Association (AIA) Tel (202)-828-7100, WA DC.

    People need to make a living, people need to make that living safely as not to harm others.

  3. Abe on January 18th, 2013 7:06 am

    The driver is where the buck stops. While I’m not a fan of “quota” hauling; the company can’t make you do anything unsafe and you are responsible for anything that happens while you are behind the wheel.

    I have been personally “run down” and tailgated by log trucks. I’ve been passed in unsafe spots and I’ve had one extremely close call due to the log truck driver’s carelessness. I see them speeding every single day.
    In addition; these trucks, by law, are permitted to haul more weight than normal trucks which makes them even more dangerous.While I have seen many courteous log/chip drivers, for the most part when I see a log/chip truck I cringe. IMHO they have a long history and a bad reputation.

  4. molino jim on January 17th, 2013 4:17 pm

    My question on this crash– why would the driver make a U-turn on Quintette Road? Mr Johnson may be lucky in one way–he could have gone under the load. Wishing Mr Johnson well. Most of the 18 wheel drivers do use due care when driving, the sad part is a few do not and give the rest a bad name. A large part of the blame for the dumb things some of the drivers do are because of the companies. They push the drivers to make “fast runs” other wise the driver make less money.

  5. Abe on January 17th, 2013 7:31 am

    Sir I take exception to that.
    Safe truck drivers do a pre trip inspection to make sure everything is working properly, including the required side marker lights. Safe drivers slow down enough that their tires don’t slide when they are making a U-Turn. Safe drivers don’t make u-turns in low visibility. Accidents are avoidable. Most people that hurt someone due to carelessness/recklessness did not hurt them on purpose. It’s a shame people don’t think about the safety of others before it’s too late.
    Charges are pending for a reason.

  6. Saynomore on January 17th, 2013 6:50 am

    I hope the people criticizing truck drivers and grouping them all into one category are perfect drivers themselves. You people act like DOT doesn’t exist, they are constantly stopping trucks. Everyday drivers are more guilty than truckers for speeding and passing on this road, so yes they need more law on this road to stop the drivers who impatiently feel the need to pass a truck. Before you place judgement on truck drivers please make sure you have both hands on the steering wheel of your vehicle at all times, and make sure you have not ever sent a text while driving or changed the radio station. Yes, this driver should not have made a U-turn in the road, but that does not mean truck drivers in general are all careless. MOST trucks have governors to control speed, especially if it is a reputable company.

  7. knowwhoyouaretalkingabout on January 17th, 2013 12:27 am

    I happen to personally know this truck driver. He is a very safe driver. The accident was just that, a accident. When the roads are wet they are dangerous no matter how careful you are. And until you have tried to stop a trailer loaded with logs from sliding on a wet road, don’t act like you could have done anything better or different. There are alot of loggers who live and work in this area, who raise families and spend their money in our communities. Very few, if any, of them would ever hurt anyone on puropse.

  8. Mike Gaddis on January 16th, 2013 4:58 pm

    I travel East on that road every morning, and west at night. Tree hauling trucks are constantly speeding, and drivng unsafely. More police need to be on that road slowing these guys down, and issuing tickets. I knew it would just be a matter of time before someone got hurt or killed. I’ve been run off the road myself, passed in no passing zones, and passed with oncoming traffic way too close. Heck, one once even tried to pass me while going up the hump in the middle of the bridge!! Hope Mr. Johnson heals quickly, and the law throws the “book” at the trucker just to make him an example !