Print
Comment
Rate
Tragedy strikes couple on the way to building dream
By CAROL BROEDER/Arizona Range News
A Cave Creek couple met with tragedy on the way to building their dreams in New Mexico.
Rosemary Adams, 63, was killed in the one-vehicle accident when she lost control of the truck she was driving and overturned at milepost 327 on Interstate 10.
Her husband, Norman, 51, told the Arizona Range News that he and his wife had bought property in Rodeo, N.M., and were bringing their trailer there.
The couple hoped to put their Cave Creek home on the market and move to New Mexico in the spring. They planned to live in the trailer while they built their new home, Adams said.
Rosemary was driving a maroon 2000 Ford pickup with the 40-foot travel trailer on eastbound I-10 at about 12:40 p.m. when, for unknown reasons, she lost control about 13 miles west of Willcox, said Frank Valenzuela, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety in Phoenix.
"I don't know what happened," Adams said. "The trailer began to fish-tail. The first thing I knew we were in the median, overturned. I realized that I was still in one piece and I called out to her. There was no answer."
Adams said he got out and went around to the driver's side and "found there were no signs of life."
Rosemary was pronounced dead at the scene from massive head trauma, Valenzuela said. Her husband was taken to Northern Cochise Community Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Both had been wearing seat belts, Valenzuela said.
"I have a banged-up arm," Adams said. "But it's nothing compared to all that's happened."
Johnny West, pastor of Grace Chapel in Willcox, helped Adams after the tragic accident.
"The ambulance driver contacted Paul Sheats, because he knew Paul, and told him about this nice man who needed help," West said.
Sheats called West, who took Adams into his home until family from Ohio could arrive in Arizona.
The couple lived in Arizona for 14 of the 15 years they've been married.
"She came out here for a job interview and fell in love with Arizona."
"We planned to build an adobe solar home, completely self-contained -- no septic tanks," Adams said. "We wanted to be gentle on the earth. We planned to learn ourselves and teach it to others."
He doesn't know yet what he is going to do, but plans to return to his home in Cave Creek for now, he said.
"I don't know if I'll move to Rodeo or not, the memories might be too painful," said Adams, adding that it will take some time to recover from the tragedy.
"I know I need to find a way to continue, myself."
In another recent accident, Arizona Department of Public Safety Patrolman Robert Flannery escaped without injury last week after his patrol car was smashed by an 18-wheeler on eastbound Interstate 10 in Texas Canyon about 20 west of Willcox.
Sgt. Brian Preston said on Thursday, Nov. 18, DPS received report of an accident involving a late-model Jeep Cherokee pulling a U-Haul trailer and an 18-wheeler on Interstate 10 around 6:08 p.m.
Preston said Flannery answered the call. Upon coming to the accident, Preston said Flannery parked on the shoulder of eastbound I-10 and got out of his vehicle to investigate.
Within minutes of Flannery exiting his vehicle, Preston said an 18-wheeler driven by Albert Thornton of Los Angeles, plowed through the guardrail on the westbound lane and landed on the DPS car.
"The diesel landed on its left side causing pretty substantial damage to the DPS car," Preston said. "It looks like (Thornton) was going too fast and, with an accident up ahead, just lost control."
Thornton, 55, sustained minor injuries in the collision. Preston said Thornton's brother Allen, 46, was also in the truck and sustained stomach injuries. Both men were taken by ambulance to the Benson Hospital where they were treated and released.
However, Preston said the left lane of eastbound I-10 and the left lane of westbound I-10 were closed by the Arizona Department of Transportation until noon on Friday because of all the damage the two accidents had caused.
Preston said there were no injuries or citations in the initial crash Flannery responded to.
Thornton was not cited at the scene, however, Preston said the investigation is ongoing.
(Editor's Note: Thelma Grimes contributed to this article.)
Rosemary Adams, 63, was killed in the one-vehicle accident when she lost control of the truck she was driving and overturned at milepost 327 on Interstate 10.
Her husband, Norman, 51, told the Arizona Range News that he and his wife had bought property in Rodeo, N.M., and were bringing their trailer there.
The couple hoped to put their Cave Creek home on the market and move to New Mexico in the spring. They planned to live in the trailer while they built their new home, Adams said.
Rosemary was driving a maroon 2000 Ford pickup with the 40-foot travel trailer on eastbound I-10 at about 12:40 p.m. when, for unknown reasons, she lost control about 13 miles west of Willcox, said Frank Valenzuela, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety in Phoenix.
"I don't know what happened," Adams said. "The trailer began to fish-tail. The first thing I knew we were in the median, overturned. I realized that I was still in one piece and I called out to her. There was no answer."
Adams said he got out and went around to the driver's side and "found there were no signs of life."
Rosemary was pronounced dead at the scene from massive head trauma, Valenzuela said. Her husband was taken to Northern Cochise Community Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Both had been wearing seat belts, Valenzuela said.
"I have a banged-up arm," Adams said. "But it's nothing compared to all that's happened."
Johnny West, pastor of Grace Chapel in Willcox, helped Adams after the tragic accident.
"The ambulance driver contacted Paul Sheats, because he knew Paul, and told him about this nice man who needed help," West said.
Sheats called West, who took Adams into his home until family from Ohio could arrive in Arizona.
The couple lived in Arizona for 14 of the 15 years they've been married.
"She came out here for a job interview and fell in love with Arizona."
"We planned to build an adobe solar home, completely self-contained -- no septic tanks," Adams said. "We wanted to be gentle on the earth. We planned to learn ourselves and teach it to others."
He doesn't know yet what he is going to do, but plans to return to his home in Cave Creek for now, he said.
"I don't know if I'll move to Rodeo or not, the memories might be too painful," said Adams, adding that it will take some time to recover from the tragedy.
"I know I need to find a way to continue, myself."
In another recent accident, Arizona Department of Public Safety Patrolman Robert Flannery escaped without injury last week after his patrol car was smashed by an 18-wheeler on eastbound Interstate 10 in Texas Canyon about 20 west of Willcox.
Sgt. Brian Preston said on Thursday, Nov. 18, DPS received report of an accident involving a late-model Jeep Cherokee pulling a U-Haul trailer and an 18-wheeler on Interstate 10 around 6:08 p.m.
Preston said Flannery answered the call. Upon coming to the accident, Preston said Flannery parked on the shoulder of eastbound I-10 and got out of his vehicle to investigate.
Within minutes of Flannery exiting his vehicle, Preston said an 18-wheeler driven by Albert Thornton of Los Angeles, plowed through the guardrail on the westbound lane and landed on the DPS car.
"The diesel landed on its left side causing pretty substantial damage to the DPS car," Preston said. "It looks like (Thornton) was going too fast and, with an accident up ahead, just lost control."
Thornton, 55, sustained minor injuries in the collision. Preston said Thornton's brother Allen, 46, was also in the truck and sustained stomach injuries. Both men were taken by ambulance to the Benson Hospital where they were treated and released.
However, Preston said the left lane of eastbound I-10 and the left lane of westbound I-10 were closed by the Arizona Department of Transportation until noon on Friday because of all the damage the two accidents had caused.
Preston said there were no injuries or citations in the initial crash Flannery responded to.
Thornton was not cited at the scene, however, Preston said the investigation is ongoing.
(Editor's Note: Thelma Grimes contributed to this article.)
 |
 |
|
| Circle I Road now includes Virginia Avenue | City businessman unearths property-boundary dilemma |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
