Published: March 15, 2007 12:23 am            

Wrecks occured minutes apart

Two separate wrecks occurred nine minutes apart near Falkville on Interstate 65 Wednesday morning, according to Alabama State Troopers.

Traffic on the interstate moved slowly for several hours after the accident, and drivers trying to avoid the congestion snarled traffic through Falkville.

The first wreck happened at 8:50 a.m. about one mile south of Falkville and involved three vehicles. The driver of a 1998 Ford, Marvin Veldkamp, 67, of Brandon, S.D., was injured in the accident. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, troopers said.

The drivers of the other two vehicles involved in the collision, Larry Woodard, 22, of Hartselle and Charles Dorls, 47, of Elkhart, Ind., were not injured, troopers said.

Troopers said Dorls was driving a 2007 Ford and Woodard was driving an 18-wheeler.

Another wreck occurred at 8:59 a.m. about three miles south of Falkville on Interstate 65. Troopers said the driver of a 2003 Chevrolet, John C. Norman, 66, of Cullman was injured in the two-vehicle accident. The driver of the other vehicle involved, Thomas Gargus, 31, of Hartselle was not injured. Troopers said Gargus was driving a 1995 Ford.

The victims’ conditions could not be established.

Tuesday night, a Cullman teenager was injured in a one-vehicle wreck at 7:50 p.m. about four miles north of Cullman on County Road 1506, troopers said. According to troopers, Brittany Piptin, 14, was injured while driving a 1995 Oldsmobile. Piptin was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, troopers said.

An Eva woman was injured in an unrelated accident Tuesday night, troopers said. Jennifer Weaver, 19, was injured in a one-vehicle wreck at 11:35 p.m. about a half-mile south of Fairview on Ala. Highway 69. Troopers said Weaver was a passenger in a 1991 Chevrolet driven by Timothy Hann, 18, also of Eva. Hann and Weaver were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, troopers said.

The conditions of Piptin and Weaver could not be established.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.