Woodleaf woman injured in crash

Police and fire crews had to use cables and jacks to stabilize the vehicle while attempting their rescue. The roof had to be removed before the victim could be freed. Photo by Seth Leonard, Salisbury Post.

By Seth Leonard

sleonard@salisburypost.com

A woman didn't appear seriously injured after rescue workers extracted her from her overturned car following a collision Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Sonya Wells, of Woodleaf, overturned on Brenner Avenue near Statesville Boulevard after colliding with a Lincoln Town Car shortly after 1:30 p.m.

The driver of the Lincoln, Kathleen Boggs, of Salisbury, was charged with making an unsafe movement, Police Chief Mark Wilhelm said.

According to a preliminary wreck report, Boggs was trying to exit the parking lot of College Barbecue and turn left onto Brenner Avenue, which required crossing a lane of traffic. Drivers in the near lane stopped to let her through, but Boggs didn't see traffic coming the other way and pulled out in front of the oncoming Pontiac, Wilhelm said.

The Pontiac rolled over onto its side in a ditch.

Neither Kathleen Boggs nor her husband, Tony, were injured. Boggs said at the scene she was driving carefully. She poked the nose of the car out to look for oncoming traffic when the Pontiac "came flying through."

"I'm just praying for her to be safe," Boggs said of Wells as rescue personnel worked to free her from the Pontiac.

Wilhelm said Wells complained of neck and back pain but remained conscious the entire time and didn't appear to be seriously injured.

Salisbury Fire Department Capt. D.H. Morris also said Wells' injuries appeared minor and that both vehicles sustained significant damage.

"She's lucky she was just entrapped," he said of Wells. "We cut the A, B and C posts, flapped the roof down and they were able to gain quick access."

Morris said that being entrapped is simply being stuck in a damaged car, whereas being pinned is worse. Pinned victims are pinched between the steering wheel and floorboard or caught in a similar situation.

Angie Krouch was parked beside where the wreck occurred and said she saw the whole thing.

"I heard a pop," she said. "Then the car slowly rolled into the ditch. It was like slow motion. I thought it was going to hit me."

Krouch narrowly missed being struck by the Pontiac. She said it appeared Boggs was at fault, having pulled out from behind a line of traffic stopped at the intersection.

Kluttz Garage and Wrecker Service removed the Pontiac and cleared the road, which had debris from both vehicles strewn about. The driver of the wrecker said it was likely both cars were totalled.

A Legend X scooter, which had been mounted behind the trunk of the Lincoln, was tossed off during the accident but didn't appear damaged.