By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City police officer has filed a lawsuit over injuries he says he received because of fumes from a chemical fire which took place in June.
Ronald Holub and his wife Patricia have filed the suit, naming Roadway Express and a driver, Jeffrey Jenson, a driver for Roadway, as defendants.
The incident in question took place the night of June 19. Jenson was traveling west on Interstate 40 near Forrest City, hauling several hazardous materials.
At about 10:30 p.m., smoke was noticed coming from the front of two trailers Jenson was hauling. Jenson called Roadway, and a haz-mat team was sent from Memphis.
While this was happening, according to the suit, Holub was patrolling near the chemical fire. At about 4:56 a.m., he was dispatched to East Arkansas Community College to check on an alarm. The suit says Holub rolled down the window to try to hear the alarm, and encountered "a strong odor of smoke and burning rubber, and could see the valley coming up behind the college from the interstate was full of smoke."
Not long after that, Holub received a call to advise Baptist Memorial Hospital, also in that area, to evacuate. By the time Holub reached the hospital to evacuate it, the suit says he was coughing uncontrollably.
During the incident, patients at Baptist were taken to First Baptist Church. Also evacuated briefly were EACC and Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute. At least one motel was evacuated.
The suit claims that since the incident, Holub has suffered permanent injury to his lungs and vocal chords and has endure severe coughing spells.
The suit accuses Roadway and Jenson, among other things, of transporting multiple hazardous chemicals and other items in the same tractor trailer rig, in such a way that it was permitted to become combustible. The suit also claims that the defendants failed to notify emergency personnel of dangers is a proper and timely manner. The company is further accused of allowing an inexperienced driver to transport hazardous materials in an unsafe condition.
The suit asks for $12,972.90 for medical expenses. It also asks for an amount to be determined at trial for Holub's injuries to his nasal passages, lungs, vocal cords and nervous system. The suit also asks for an amount in excess of $75,000 to compensate Patricia Holub for her loss of consortium, and for attorney's fees.
The filing period for independent municipal candidates ended Friday at noon, with one more person filing for a Forrest City alderman position.
Ray Woodard has filed for Ward 4, position 2. Clifton Avant had previously filed for Ward 1, position 1.
Other independent filings were as follows.
In Palestine, Willetta Carroll is being challenged by Henry Kimble for mayor. Also in Palestine, Danny Parson and Rickey Plunkett have filed for alderman from Ward 1, position 1. Bobby Boileau has filed for Ward 2, position 1.
In Widener, Larry White filed as in independent for Mayor. There is also a race for city clerk, between Lillian P. Williams and Terri R. Billingsley, both of whom filed as independents. On the Widener city council, Carl Winters and George Danner filed for position 1, John Henry Wilson and Brenda D. White filed for position 2, Ronald Barnett filed for position 3, Versie Pitts and Harvey Busby filed for position 4, and Felicia A. Watson filed for position 5.
In Caldwell, Gary Hughes has filed for mayor. For the Caldwell city council, Frank Killingsworth filed for position 1, Grover Gunn filed for Position 2, Hayward Gowen filed for position 3, John P. Clark filed for Position 4 and Bob Mosley filed for position 5. Jenny Lindsey filed for clerk-treasurer and Thomas E. Hughes filed for town marshal.
In Colt, Virgil Wayne Keeler has filed for mayor. For alderman, Charles J. Ward filed for Ward 1, position 1, Rita F. McGee filed for Ward 1, position 2, Randy Hefner filed for Ward 2, position 1 and Joe Kerr filed for Ward 2, position 2.
In Colt, Cheryl T. Neeley filed for city clerk. For alderman
positions, Charles J. Ward has filed for Ward 1, Position 1; Joe
Kerr has filed for Ward 2, Position 2; and Randy Hefner has filed
for Ward 2, Position 1.
A Moro man was trapped in the cab of his tractor trailer rig for almost eight hours Sunday within reach of the body of his infant son after a Texas overpass collapsed on them.
Cleaster Broadway, 41, was asking about his 19-month-old son, but knew he was dead, according to one of the rescuers, Scott Huston, a Richland, Texas firefighter.
According to the Associated Press, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman said the two were traveling together when Broadway lost control of the truck, swerved to the right, then left, before going into an embankment and hitting an overpass column.
The roads were wet, but rain wasn't falling at the time of the accident, DPS spokesman Charlie Morgan said. Officials haven't yet determined the cause of the crash.
Rescuers cut a hole out of the back of the truck cab and removed items to give Broadway, pinned by the roof of the truck, more room. Workers climbed up a ladder to the top of the bridge to talk to Broadway through the hole.
A crane held up one side of the bridge, easing the threat that the span of concrete would slide further.
''The problem was, nothing was really stabilized,'' said Corsicana Fire Chief Donald McMullen. ''There was so much wreckage around the truck, they had to cut and pry inch by inch.''
Dr. Robert Kingman, a surgeon from Corsicana, said Broadway's chest and leg were pinned down by the roof of the truck.
Just before 5 p.m. Broadway's bare foot could be seen through a small opening and he was soon covered with a white sheet as workers pulled him to safety. He was given oxygen as a precaution.
As Broadway was placed on a waiting stretcher, the group of rescuers began to clap.
''It feels great to have him out because we knew the longer it took, the more chances of his condition deteriorating,'' McMullan said. ''He's maintained good spirits throughout. He knew we would get him out.''
A little later as a light rain fell, subdued workers pulled the body of Courtney Broadway from the rubble.
Broadway was being treated in the emergency room of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, nursing supervisor Barbara Miller said. Miller said Broadway was in stable condition and his injuries weren't life-threatening.
Cleaster Broadway's mother, Mildred Broadway, said her son was on the road a lot and often took his son on road trips.
''He hardly got a chance to see him (the child) because he's always on the road,'' she said in a story in The Dallas Morning News' online edition. ''He was trying to find a way to get out of it (trucking) so he wouldn't have to stay on the road so long. He's never had an accident before. I can't understand it.''
Broadway is an independent contractor for Schneider Specialized Carriers, based in Green Bay, Wis., said Tom Vandenberg, Schneider's general counsel. Schneider uses about 13,000 drivers and operates throughout the United States and Canada and into Mexico.
Lt. Gary Myles said the detour of southbound traffic on Interstate 45, the main artery between Dallas and Houston, could be in place up to two days while crews clear debris.
Texas Department of Transportation engineer Darwin Meyers told the newspaper it could take several months to replace the bridge.
The St. Francis County Museum will open a special exhibit on Wednesday saluting local law enforcement officers and firefighters. According to a press release from the museum, the exhibit will feature items used, both in the past and today, as well as pictures honoring the officers.
The exhibit will be in the front parlor of the museum during September and October. A public reception is also being planned for the museum. Guest curators from the FCPD and FCFD will also assist in creating the exhibit.
Also on Wednesday, in conjunction with the American Museum Association, the Rush-Gates House will have a showing of "In Memorium: New York, 9/11/01" which was produced by HBO and features former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani as the narrator. The film will be available for loan to local groups throughout the month of September.
The St. Francis County Museum is located in the Rush-Gates home at 603 Front Street in Forrest City. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and by special arrangement. Admission to the museum is free.
A full schedule of meetings are planned for this week throughout St. Francis County.
The Forrest City School Board is scheduled to meet at 5:30 this evening in the administration office. Board members will hear an update on the new junior high and approve changes for that construction project. The board will also review enrollment figures for the new school year.
The Forrest City Airport Commission is scheduled to meet at 6 tonight at the airport.
Three city councils will hold monthly meetings this evening. The Widener City Council meets at 6 p.m., and the Madison and Hughes city councils meet at 7 p.m. The meetings will be held at each city's city hall.
On Tuesday, The Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission will meet at 2 p.m. at the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce office.
The Palestine City Council and the Caldwell City Council will each hold monthly meetings Tuesday. Those meetings begin at 7 p.m. at each city's city hall.
In addition, the St. Francis County Farm Bureau's annual banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Forrest City Civic Center. The guest speaker will be Gussie Michaelis, also known as Goodwin's Minnie Pearl.
On Thursday, the Forrest City Public Library Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. at the library. The Wheatley City Council is scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. at city hall.
Forrest City Police are continuing to investigate a rash of thefts from vehicles that occurred Friday evening at the Forrest City High School parking lot. Several students had left their vehicles there while they attended a football game in Wynne.
Police responding to a call about the break-ins found two suspects, both from Forrest City, fleeing the parking lot. In all, windows were broken in four vehicles belonging to students, and several items were stolen.
No arrests have yet been made.