Accident victims' conditions unchanged

Staff reports

Three people injured in separate accidents Monday afternoon remain hospitalized at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

A CMC spokesman said Jeffrey Scott Kowalski, 47, of 360 N. Oakhurst Drive, and David Shores, 24, of 555 Neel Road, remain in critical condition.

Marilyn C. Moore, 56, of 2070 N. Main St., China Grove, was in serious condition.

She was injured in a collision at U.S. 29 and North Main Street in China Grove around noon Monday. A pickup travelling south T-boned her car in the driver's side. Her 9-month-old grandson, who was in the car, was treated at Rowan Regional Medical Center and released.

Kowalski was severely injured on U.S. 29 near Airport Road around 7 p.m. He was riding a bicycle when he collided with a Dodge Ram truck.

Salisbury Police investigators said Kowalski was riding his bike against traffic, going north on the southbound side of U.S. 29 a short distance north of Airport Road.

Lt. Melonie Thompson with the Special Operations unit said Tuesday there were no witnesses to the accident. Police at the scene were told Kowalski was on his way to work at Maxon Furniture on Grace Church Road — south of the accident scene.

"We understand that probably he was going to work," Thompson said. "The items of evidence show that he was going northbound."

Thompson said all the damage was to the front of the bike. "It was basically a head-on collision," she said.

The accident occurred at dusk. The bike had no lights or reflectors, according to police.

Thompson said it's possible Kowalski dropped something and turned around to go back and get it, or he may have gone back to a nearby store. For whatever reason, Thompson said Kowalski was was going north in the southbound lane when the wreck occurred.

Shores sustained severe injuries when he crashed his bike at more than 100 mph into the back of a pickup and car hauler on Sherrills Ford Road.

The impact threw Shores into the pickup bed, smashing the rear window.