Published Tuesday, June 23, 2009

One killed, another injured in I-85 wrecks

The Times-Herald

A Columbus woman was killed Monday in a vehicle crash on Interstate 85 south of Exit 41 at Moreland, and a related crash resulted in motor oil from a truck engine being spilled on the interstate.

Teresa Parham, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene by Coweta County Coroner Ray Yeager.

According to Trooper Justin Pollett of the Georgia State Patrol Post 24 in Newnan, Parham was heading southbound on I-85 in the left lane when she ran onto the low shoulder of the highway. Parham apparently was able to bring her Pontiac Grand Am back onto the pavement, but then lost control and ended up going across the grass median, sideways, into the northbound lanes.

Parham’s car was struck in the driver side by a tractor-trailer truck traveling northbound in the center lane. The truck driver, Pedro Hernandez of California, tried to make evasive maneuvers, but things happened so fast, “it was inevitable,” Pollett said. Hernandez was not injured, though his truck sustained front-end damage and had to be towed.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m., in an area near the 40 mile marker where there were no concrete barriers, and the median was grass, Pollett said.

Shortly thereafter, a tractor-trailer rear-ended another truck in the traffic back-up south of the crash site.

Ronnie Disinger of Dalton was driving for Southeastern Freight Lines when he struck a rig driven by Gleen Warren of Rayville, La. The impact broke the axle and oil pan of Disinger’s truck, and all of the motor oil in the engine spilled onto the interstate. Rhino Services of Union City came down to clean up the spill, according to GSP Commander Lance Greene. Disinger’s co-driver, Roger Newton of Columbus, was taken to Newnan Hospital by ambulance. Newton’s wife said he was still in the emergency room at 4 p.m., but Newton’s injuries were not serious.

Disinger was charged with driving too fast for conditions.

All lanes of traffic were blocked shortly after the accident. Both crashes were cleared by around 1:45, Pollett said.

(Times-Herald staff writer Alex McRae contributed to this report.)