Dateline: May 8, 2008

Wreck hospitalizes Childress couple

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A three-vehicle accident at Ashtola last week left two people in an Amarillo hospital.

Kenneth and Linda Trosper of Childress were both stable in the ICU at Northwest Texas Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Monday afternoon, according to DPS Trooper Chris Ward.

Mr. Trosper was southbound on US 287 in his Chevrolet Blazer Friday afternoon when he rear-ended a pickup truck driven by Jody Rowland, who was in the inside lane turning left onto County Road 3. The impact caused the Trospers’ vehicle to go into the outside lane of the highway and in front of a southbound semi-truck driven by Edward Griffin of New Mexico.

That impact sent the Blazer into the ditch where it rolled at least twice Ward said before coming to rest in the front yard of a trailer house at US 287 and FM 2362.

“It was spinning in the air, so there is really no way to know how many times it really turned over,” Ward said.

Emergency personnel from the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department and the Associated Ambulance Authority extracted the Trospers from the vehicle.

Mr. Trosper was airlifted to NWTH, and Mrs. Trosper was transported by ambulance.

“At this point the investigation is rather inconclusive,” Ward said. “The truck driver confirmed that Rowland had slowed down and had his turning signal on. We really don’t know why Mr. Trosper ran into Mr. Rowland.”

No citations have yet been issued in the case, and Ward said Rowland and Griffin did not suffer any serious injuries.