It was a Miracle

Witnesses to Monday morning’s collision between a passenger car and fully-loaded fuel tanker truck in the Bethel community all agree on one fact — It was a miracle the young driver wasn’t killed.

Not only was Jason Tharp, 16, of Logan, not killed, witnesses said after his 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix was struck broadside on the passenger side by the Leader Transport truck from Holly Pond, Tharp crawled through his driver’s side window and ran to check on the driver of the truck. The truck had left the roadway and crashed through a soon-to-open beauty salon at the corner of U.S. Highway 278 West and County Road 1117.

William Hunt, 55, of Remlap, the driver of the 2002 Peterbilt which literally torpedoed the future location of Sherry’s Vision Hair Care, said by the time his truck came to a stop through the back wall of the building, the young man was up on his running board.

“He asked me if I was all right and I told him I thought I was,” said Hunt, who sported a small amount of blood splatter on his shirt. “I think he was all right. At least he didn’t seem to be seriously injured.”

Hunt said he was delivering 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 4,000 gallons of gasoline to Addison when he came into the intersection and found Tharp’s vehicle crossways on the road.

“He turned right in front of me. There was nothing I could do,” Hunt said.

Tharp’s car, which came to rest pointing south at the northwest corner of the intersection, sustained massive damage to the passenger side — so much in fact that more than one witness used the word “miracle” to describe how he was able to walk away from the collision.

“When I walked up on the scene and saw the damage to the passenger side of the car I expected to be told that the driver was a fatality,” said State Trooper Ron Wood, who is investigating the accident. “The fact that they said he exited the vehicle under his own power and was walking around and talking to folks when the ambulance arrived is amazing.”

Tharp, who witnesses said complained of head pain, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

Meanwhile, emergency workers stayed on the scene for several hours as passersby slowed to watch efforts to remove a tanker truck from a building.

“Thankfully it’s a sight we don’t see everyday,” said Kelly Allen, assistant director of the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency. “We have personnel on the scene from the Cullman County Hazardous Materials Unit, Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department, sheriff’s office, EMA and state troopers. Fortunately the only leak we had as a result of the accident was the spillage of some antifreeze, which is not an environmental concern.”

Before attempting to remove the truck from the business, a second tanker truck was called to the scene to transfer the fuel. Because of the noxious fumes given off during the transfer, bystanders were backed up 50 feet as a precaution.

In the meantime, traffic along Highway 278 continued to move through the intersection, which some witnesses called “every bit as bad as Kugler Creek.”

Desiree Simmons, who is employed at the Bethel Exxon, said she was in the kitchen when she heard the impact between the truck and car. She said she ran outside just in time to see the car spinning and the truck driving through the front of the salon.

“When I saw that I just knew both people were dead,” said Simmons, who also is a member of the Logan Volunteer Fire Department. “I ran across the street to try and help the little boy. As I ran across, I saw him jump out the driver’s side window and run up to the cab of the truck.”

Simmons’, whose family owns and operates K&K; Rods in Bethel, said she has seen people killed in vehicles with a lot less damage than that Grand Prix, which was completely caved in by the impact.

“The truck driver had a small laceration and the boy seemed fine except for a possible bump on his head. If you would have seen the damage to that car and the building after the truck rammed into it, you would have thought the injuries would be much worse,” Simmons said. “I think they carried the boy to the hospital just to check him over to make certain he’s all right. That’s common in these types of collisions because you never know if the injured person is in shock and may not realize how seriously hurt they are until sometimes hours later.”

As the second tanker truck arrived on the scene to begin transferring fuel from the wrecked vehicle, salon owner Henry Guthery could only standby and watch in utter disbelief, while thankful no one was seriously injured.

“I was sitting at home drinking a cup of coffee when the phone rang just after 7:30. Someone from the Exxon Station called to tell me ‘there’s a truck through your building,’” Guthery said. “I asked them if they were serious, because I thought it might be a joke, and they told me they were very serious and so I came on down.”

Guthery said there is no way to explain what was going through his mind when he arrived at the scene to find a gas truck parked in the middle of his new business.

“I’ve been working on this for two years now and we were going to be ready to open in about six weeks with 12 stylists and beauticians,” Guthery said. “We had completed the outside of the building and were set to get started installing the light fixtures, chairs and equipment inside. I don’t know what I’ll do now.”

Guthery said he has between $40,000 and $50,000 tied up in the business, which was not insured.

“I hadn’t bought insurance yet because the building wasn’t finished,” Guthery said. “I even had 13 tri-axle loads of dirt hauled in here to build up the embankment on our side of the intersection to guard against this type of thing from happening and it didn’t work. I’m just thankful no one was seriously injured.”

Guthery agreed the intersection is dangerous.

“I also own Heads House Cylinders, which is located about 200 feet east of the intersection, and we’ll be working in there and hear screeching tires and the bang of fenders at all hours of the night and day,” Guthery said. “Something really does need to be done to help make this intersection safer.”

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Witnesses to Bethel accident say boy lucky to be alive

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