Public records
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on April 14, 2004 1:56 PM
Steering, brakes
fail as rigs collide
A truck driver said the steering and brakes failed on his tractor-trailer Tuesday, and the rig ran off the road and hit a telephone pole and sign, according to a Goldsboro police report.
Another big truck and a car also wrecked in an attempt to avoid the tractor-trailer, the report said.
James Timothy Strickland, 55, of Selma told police that he had moved to the right lane on U.S. 117 South, about a half-mile north of Arrington Bridge Road, at about 11:47 a.m. He said the rig continued off the right side because the brakes and steering did not respond.
The tractor-trailer ran through the ditch, struck a telephone pole and a Carolina Tractor sign, continued through the parking lot and stopped in the ditch, police said.
Todd James Smothers, 34, of Little River Drive, was following Strickland's rig in his car. Smothers said the second trucker, Roger Stanley Jefferson, 41, of Cumberland, Md., changed lanes and stopped in the right lane in trying to avoid Strickland's vehicle. Smothers said he could not stop in time to avoid colliding with the second tractor-trailer.
No one was injured. No charges were filed.
Damages were estimated at $5,000 to Strickland's tractor-trailer, registered to Linda T. Strickland of Pine Level; $500 to Smothers' car; $50 to the other tractor-trailer registered to TMC Transportation of Des Moines, Iowa; $3,000 to the Carolina Tractors sign, and $2,500 to the BellSouth pole.
In other collisions:
*A driver from Eureka was injured at 5 p.m. Sunday on Turner Swamp Road near Davis Street in Eureka, the Highway Patrol said. William Brian Bass, 25, of Darden Street was treated and released from Wilson Memorial Hospital, officials said. He was charged with reckless driving after his car ran off the right side in a curve, struck a ditch and stopped in a yard. Damage was put at $4,000.
*Damage was estimated at $5,200 at 9:31 a.m. Saturday on Casey Mill Road near Pecan Road, the Highway Patrol said. Clifton Douglas, 82, of Emmaus Church Road, Dudley, was charged with driving left of center. His car ran off the left side, struck a fence, continued through a yard and struck a tree, troopers said.
*Two people were injured at 2:50 p.m. Saturday on Genoa Road near Old Mount Olive Road, the Highway Patrol said. Daniel Edward Connolly, 18, of Maple Grove Drive, LaGrange, and one of his passengers, Alfred Johnson, 22, of Bear Creek Circle Estates, LaGrange, were released after emergency-room treatment. Jabari Hikene Fields, 19, of Flamingo Drive, Dudley, was charged with failure to reduce speed after the rear-end collision. Damages were set at $2,500.
Correction
An article Tuesday on a fire at Red Hill Distributors in Mount Olive gave the incorrect name of the owner of the building. It is owned by William Wilkins. Doug Wiggins owned the business that operated out of the building. Wiggins told firefighters that he did not have insurance on his business. His statement did not refer to Wilkins' insurance status on the building.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*A television was stolen after a window was shattered at a home in the 400 block of Wilson Road near Fremont, sheriff's deputies said. The TV was valued at $200. Damage at Kenneth Barnes' home was set at $100.
*Four 15-inch tires and four rims were stolen from a new Kia Sedona from the Deacon Jones Kia auto dealership at 2077 U.S. 70 W., deputies said. The tires and rims were valued at $1,000.
*A 35-millimeter camera, a video cassette recorder and bath-room items were stolen from a mobile home in the 3100 block of Central Heights Road, Goldsboro police said. The resident, Francisco Diaz Santos, put a $466 value on his property.
Missing
Two teen-agers have been reported missing to Wayne County authorities
*Shenika Renee Hailey, 14, of 1016-A Lincoln Drive was described as black, 5-feet-5 and 145 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and medium complexion. When she was seen last, she was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a blue coat.
*Paige Frances Gallaher, 13, of 369 Harrells Hill Road, Mount Olive, was described as white, 5-feet-4 and 110 pounds with brown hair in a ponytail. When she was seen last at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, she was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and brown sandals.
Anyone with information on the location of either teen was asked to call Goldsboro police at 736-4933 or the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 731-1481.
Appeal withdrawn
Charles R. Gurley, a Goldsboro criminal defense lawyer, has withdrawn his appeal of a Wayne County District Court conviction for driving while impaired.
Gurley, 40, of Mill Road, remanded the case from Superior Court and accepted the lower court's judgment. He had been fined $150 and court costs, ordered to perform 48 hours of community service, given a 120-day suspended sentence and put on unsupervised probation for 18 months. The judgment was handed down Jan. 5.
Gurley was stopped Aug. 8 by state Highway Patrol Trooper D.B. Finch on U.S. 70.