I know this may not be forum topic related but I thought ya'll should hear this.

Everyone please pray for this drives family and friends, I live in Newton, NC which is about 10miles SE from Hickory, NC and I found this in this mornings newspaper. If I hear any news as to the driver of the Silver Toyota Pickup I'll keep ya'll informed. As of this morning 6-2-07 they haven't come forward. The paper is Hickory Daily Record. You can follow it along also at their website www.hickoryrecord.com

"JULY 1st, 2007-HICKORY, NC - A man died after his tractor-trailer truck flipped at least three times on Interstate 40 and split into two pieces.

Bill Ray Parker, 52, of Fayetteville, Ark., was driving a US National truck out of Van Buren, Ark., said Terri Byers, public information officer for the Hickory Fire Department.

Parker was transporting a load of jarred pickles. The pickles littered the highway after the crash and the smell lingered in the air throughout the night.

N.C. State Highway Patrol troopers are looking for a silver Toyota pickup truck. They do not have confirmation on a license plate.

Troopers say the pickup truck was entering the westbound lane of I-40 at the Fairgrove Church Road on-ramp. The driver proceeded to enter the highway. As he did, the Toyota bumped up against another tractor-trailer truck.

That caused the Lee’s Transport truck to move into the leftbound lane in which the US National truck was driving. Investigators believe Parker over-corrected and lost control of the 18-wheeler. The truck jackknifed and rolled several times. It came to rest against a road sign and on the other side of a guardrail.

The crash happened around 6:20 p.m. Thursday.

Brian Younce was traveling in the eastbound lane of I-40 when he witnessed the tractor-trailer flip.

“This is one of the worse things I’ve come up on,” Younce said. “It’s amazing how life can change in a moment. God must have a different plan for him.”

A portion of the grass along the westbound lanes caught fire, Byers said. Firefighters also contained two small diesel leaks, she said.

I-40 westbound was shut down from the Fairgrove Church Road exit to the McDonald Parkway exit into the night as crews cleaned the scene. One lane was reopened at 9 p.m.

Eastbound traffic also was moving slowly from about the U.S. 321 intersection to the wreck scene.

Anyone with information on the wreck or knowledge of a silver Toyota pickup truck in the area should call Highway Patrol at 466-5500.

 

It's now only June 1, 2007

 

I noticed the date also, but when your shaken up, 1 can get confused. I will pray for the driver and his family, I also will pray for all the Truckers that had to go by and see it. I am so sorry :cry:

 

:cry: That driver and his family and friends has my prayers. :cry:

 

Wow--things like this can happen in an instant.

Late this afternoon on the freeway (3-lanes) I had a 4-wheeler pass me on the right (I was going 55 mph in the middle lane), veer sharply in front of me (less than 2-car lengths), and then veer sharply in front of the car that was in the left lane passing me. The irate driver wasn't happy that the other driver wasn't going fast enough in the fast lane. He (irritated driver) then flipped off the driver of the "slow" car (no mistaking his meaning through the sun roof) and proceeded to cut across all lanes of traffic to the right lane again as he sped off into the distance. "What a moron" I thought. But I really didn't think that this could have ended very differently and very tragically...until now.

Life on this planet is very fragile my friends...even when we think we have things "under control."

I am petitioning the Lord for comfort, strength, and eventually peace throughout this gut-wrenching time for the deceased driver's family, friends, colleages.

 

"you get a driver to a funeral before he's dead, and you made history, doc"

Its amazing how quick life can change in the blink of an eye :cry:

 

This sounds like the same accidnet my husband saw if it is it occurred on May 10, 2007. Already said a prayer for the family.

Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 1:50 am Post subject:

Today my husband was stuck on the freeway for about 3 1/2 hours on the I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock! Sad Sad Someone will not be going home again. There was a truck and vehicle accident. Four trucks were involved and one car. One truck driver more than likely did not make it from what he saw and others saw of the cab. I am just glad he was not involved in the accident. Sometimes these things can happen and you have no control or time to stop. So be safe.

Goin Fer It's Wife

 

Wow, that is only about 20 miles away from me. I have not heard anything about it, but was away out on the road until just before memorial day.

 

Nah, this wreck happened on May 31st, in Hickory, NC. I've wrode past where it happened and you can see where the grass was scorced by the fire. Here is an update on the story, it is in todays hickory daily record paper (June 2nd, 2007)

HICKORY -- Troopers are still investigating the death of a truck driver killed in an Interstate 40 wreck Thursday.

Bill Ray Parker, 52, of Fayetteville, Ark., died in the crash. He was driving a US National truck out of Van Buren, Ark. The crash happened around 6:20 p.m. in the westbound lane near the Fairgrove Church Road on ramp.

Kevin Campbell worked with Parker. The Van Buren, Ark., resident drove a truck for eight years and knows the dangers of the highway. He said he was devastated to hear of Parker’s death.

“You can’t find a more reliable, honest, hard-working fellow out on the road than Bill Parker was,” Campbell said in an e-mail. “He was very kind-hearted and always ready to help when called upon. I thank God that I had the privilege of knowing him and working with him. He will be missed by all of us who knew him.”

A silver Toyota pickup truck entered the westbound lane of I-40 at the Fairgrove Church Road ramp without yielding the right of way, said Trooper B.E. Morgan. The pickup struck a second tractor-trailer forcing it into the left-hand lane.

Parker’s tractor-trailer then was forced onto the shoulder. Troopers believe Parker’s truck overcorrected, jack-knifed and flipped several times. It came to rest in two pieces.

No one else was injured in the wreck. Westbound I-40 was shut down until 9 p.m. when one lane reopened.

Anyone with information on the wreck should call the Highway Patrol at 466-5500.

 

Read the original post. These wrecks occured 500-600 miles apart. :roll: