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Highlands Today

Cops: Van Driver At Fault

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: February 18, 2009

Updated: 02/18/2009 11:04 am

LAKE PLACID - Police investigators say the driver of a 2000 Dodge minivan that was struck by an orange hauler Saturday night in Lake Placid was at fault.

The crash reportedly took place at about 7:55 p.m. Feb. 14 in front of the Golden Corral restaurant.

The van pulled out from the McDonald's restaurant, headed west across the northbound lanes of U.S. 27 and drove through the paved intersection without stopping and into the path of the southbound truck, said Sgt. Mark Schneider of the Lake Placid Police Department.

The van's driver, Ramon Lopez, 29, of Lake Placid, was charged with failure to yield right of way, driving without a valid driver's license, operating a motor vehicle without a seat belt and no child restraints on his two children.

Lopez and his wife, Juana Angeles, 28, of Lake Placid, were transported to Florida Hospital Lake Placid and were listed in stable condition Tuesday, according to Cathy Albritton, Florida Hospital marketing director.

The children, Lucia Castellano, 5, and Ramon Castellano Jr., 7, were flown by helicopter to Tampa General.

Both children were listed in good condition on Tuesday, according to Ellen Fiss, hospital spokeswoman.

Schneider said the driver of the orange hauler, Barnabe Lopez, with Brown Brothers, did nothing wrong.

"The truck was not in excess of the speed limit," said Schneider. "The driver tried to stop and swerved to avoid the collision."

Contrary to what was previously reported, the van did not appear to have gone airborne, according to Schneider, and there was only one impact with the van.

"I would say the van was totaled," he said. "It was locked under the front bumper of the truck and created large gouges in the roadway."

An axle broke and the van spun free, he said.

The truck left 93 feet of skid marks, but that was not indicative of excessive speed. Schneider said between the gross weight of the tractor and the trailer the rig weighed more than 32,000 pounds empty. It was not loaded with oranges.

That takes a long distance to stop, he said. The truck pulled off the roadway 172.5 feet from the intersection where the impact took place.

"We're still in the process of reconstructing the accident," he said. "The case is still under investigation."

Alcohol may have been a factor in the crash and charges were pending against Lopez. Police await the results of a sample of Lopez's blood by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory, Schneider said.

He did not know how long the results would take.

"He had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath," said Schneider.

Beer cans were found inside the vehicle that were cool to the touch and some full that were spewing beer where the cans were broken.

Independent blood samples were taken by police and were delivered to the FDLE, as well as the samples taken by Florida Hospital. However, the hospital's blood test results cannot be obtained by police without a subpoena, due to HIPAA privacy laws, Schneider said.

Maria Vilchez, who was not involved in the accident, was listed by police as the van's owner.

A witness to the crash said it took responders as long as 20 minutes to get there, but Highlands County Emergency Medical Services records and Sheriff's dispatch records indicated the first ambulance was dispatched at 7:59 p.m., and was on scene by 8:04 p.m. Fire was dispatched at 8:01 p.m.

Sheriff Susan Benton said Tuesday dispatchers received a total of 13 calls in connection with the accident. Two additional calls were rerouted to Hardee County dispatch; one at 7:57 p.m. from a male caller and a second at 7:57 from a female caller.

The first caller was routed back to Highlands in 26 seconds and the second was routed back to Highlands County in nine seconds, Benton said.

Lake Placid Police were dispatched at 8:02 p.m. and were on scene at 8:05 p.m., according to Schneider.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com

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