Jerry Heft, Coldwater, was pinned under his truck for two hours following an accident early Friday morning, March 1, on the Kansas turnpike. Jerry, a driver for Thornton Trucking, Coldwater, had delivered a load of cattle to Cassody and was returning home. The left rear duals struck the bridge rail which, at that point is no wider than the highway. The truck and trailer cleaned off the row of steel posts across a ravine and took out half of the concrete guard rail in the median on the far side of the bridge. The truck was apparently turned over, pinning Jerry underneath. Help was summoned by another Thorton driver who immediately missed Jerry's lights and returned to the scene. Jerry directed the rescue squad who used two jacks to carefully raise the wreckage so as not to further injure the pinned driver. Martin S. McIntyre, former Coldwater man was a member of the rescue squad employed by the turnpike authorities.Trooper John Fee, El Dorado, of the Turnpike Patrol,. who investigated, said El Dorado police and members of the El Dorado Emergency Rescue Service also helped free Heft who was completely soaked in diesel fuel. Also reporting to the scene were Chief of Police V. A. Thompson and rescue squad members Bob Pinon and Dave Marcum. Jerry was taken to the Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado and is in room 352. He expects to be able to be moved to the Comanche County Hospital the latter part of the week. He received a broken upper right arm, a cut across his chest and at the corner of one eye, multiple lacerations and bruises.
This is the first accident in over two years by drivers of Thorton Trucking which operates 14 units and has logged over two million miles in that time. The big Mack, costing $26,000.00 was a total loss with additional damage to the trailer. The damage was covered by insurance.
Ruth Amelia (Latas) Heft, grandmother of Jerry Heft.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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