FARMINGTON — A Turner driver tried to "thread the needle" by squeezing his pickup truck between a car and logging truck on Route 4 Friday afternoon, police said.
Nathan Harlow, 21, escaped with minor abrasions in his attempt to miss the Ford Escort and Mack tractor-trailer that were stopped ahead of him in the eastbound lanes, police Sgt. Shane Cote said.
Barbara Chassie, 59, of Farmington had stopped to allow a car in front of her Escort to turn left into the parking lot by Fortune Fountain restaurant. At the same time, the empty 2003 Mack logging truck driven by David Campbell, 49, of Patten was approaching on the outside lane beside the Escort, Cote said.
Then Harlow, with a motorcycle in the bed of his 2000 Chevrolet Silverado, came up behind the Escort.
“(Harlow) was unable to stop in time and tried to 'thread the needle' by squeezing into the space between the Escort and the tractor-trailer,” Cote said.
The pickup scraped against the side of the Ford and bumped one of the tractor-trailer's rear wheels, sending the Chevy spinning around until it stopped on the side of the road, the officer said.
Harlow suffered minor abrasions.
NorthStar EMS paramedics responded as did members of the Farmington Fire Rescue Department.
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This is a two-lane stretch
This is a two-lane stretch and it is only 40 mph and many people drive way to fast. Even if there is no turning lane, which there is only a partial one, the truck should have been paying attention. I drive this road all the time and people are in a hurry and speeding. It is 40mph and should stay that way because there are a lot of businesses and people have to be alert... Don't blame the people that did the right thing or think a change needs to be made because people don't want to obey the law!!
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Kudos AwardedDisagree (2)
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put in a turning lane further up the road, or at the next set of lights and relocate the entrances for the motel and the restaurant onto the road that enters Rt 4 on the left. I think its Red Schoolhouse Road? Turning left into businesses ANYWHERE on that road is always a NIGHTMARE.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Turning lane
There is only a partial turning lane in the shape of an elongated triangle, to enter Fortune Fountain's parking lot when heading East toward Farmington. Four lanes with a center turning lane only goes from the FMH (hospital) to the Walmart entrance. This accident occured right after the Walmart entrance, if I read the article right. Because businesses were allowed to build or preexisted right up to the highway, it would be very difficult to make a center turning lane plus keep this a four lane highway. Eventually something will have to be done to this stretch of Rt.2 & 4.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I agree.. Why Sensationalize SJ?
Very misleading title for anyone who knows that area...
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.turning lane?
Why would anyone have to stop heading east? isn't there a turning lane there at the entrance to that parking lot? I would suspect whom ever stopped and blocked a travel lane at that point would be at fault? and where in the article did it state that the pickup was speeding? The way folks put their own twist on these articles is disgusting, please just comment on what the article states and do not make up stories... it just states he was unable to stop in time.. how does anyone get he was speeding out of that? anyone who comes up on someone stopped in the middle of the road where they should not be would have a hard time stopping no matter what speed they were going.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Why was this woman stopped in
Why was this woman stopped in the right of way traffic to allow someone turning left to go.. We all see stupid things like this daily on the road.. Someone thinks they are making a nice gesture to another driver while creating a very dangerous situation for drivers behind or alongside them who are expecting the right of way traffic to continue down the road.. I hope the fault was not put on the driver of the truck for this.. Yes I know that we are all supposed to be in control of our vehicles at all times and are to yeild to traffic in front of us, however this woman created the dangerous situation by stopping in the middle of the road to let the left turning driver cross traffic.. What if this were 2 lanes of traffic moving in herdirection and as she waved the driver to cross in front of her another vehicle t boned the turning vehicle.. who would be at fault then..Luckily no one was killed.. People need to follow the rules of traffic and not decide to rewrite the rules just because they feel like making a nice gesture to another driver..
SunJournal needs to rethink the headline, they make it sound like some punk as weaving through traffic to get in this accident and I agree with a previous poster who said this guy in the truck made the best defensive move he could have...
Headline should have read "Neighborly driver causes chain reaction wreck"
Courtesy=FAIL
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The woman in the escort and the tractor trailer were headed EAST (toward Farmington) -- the woman in the Escort would have been BEHIND the person waiting the take a left into the restaurant. The guy in the pick up was speeding and couldn't stop BEHIND her...his choices were to rear-end her or try to "thread the needle".
The woman in the Escort wasn't responsible for this accident...she was an innocent bystander. The guy in the pickup needs to learn the rules of the road and not decide to do his own thing just because he was in a hurry. ;)
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I stand corrected..
You are correct i misread the description of the scene... Should have waited to finish the coffee before I commented.. ;) Thanx for staightening me out..
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Tread the Needle
This turn into Future Fountain, when heading towards Farmington, is extremely dangerous. There is not a full turning lane there. This accident is no surprise! The speed limit is 40 mph. This whole stretch of road from the FMH ( hospital ) traffic light to the center of Farmington should all be redesigned. Maybe like other towns and cities have , with a full turning lane in the center. With so many businesses on this part of Rt.4, it is a nightmare to travel sometimes.
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You make this sound like the guy was a loser but really the guy was most likely speeding came up on the blockage and tried to commit the less damage which he did, he could of slamed into the escort and likely killed that driver and totaled both the vehicles, or he could have slamed into the Mack truck and killed himself, however he choose the right decision even if he was wrong for speeding he was right in his actions this was not an act of stunt driving as the paper tries to gesture but defensive driving at its best!! no one died or was criticaly injured in an accident that could have been much, much worse, however the lesson is Slow Down People we all have to share the roads and with a little courtesy and common sence we all get to go home at the end of the day!!
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