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Crash victims taken to Riverland Medical Center
Published Friday, March 28, 2008
FERRIDAY — Traffic on U.S. 84 was slowed to a halt Thursday afternoon after an automobile accident left one of the vehicles involved resting on its side.
The accident, between a maroon minivan and a blue BMW, occurred at the intersection of Seventh Street and U.S. 84, which inside the Ferriday town limits is Louisiana Avenue.
The occupants of the minivan were Ferriday residents Jeffery Lewis, 86, Cindy Lewis, 19, April Lewis, 18 and Leah Lewis, whose age was not made available.
Photo by Ben Hillyer
Ferriday police officer Connita Sones, at right, questions Josh Phillips as emergency personnel from American Medical Response and Metro Ambulance, at left, attend to Cindy Lewis after the Lewis’ van flipped on U.S. 84 in Ferriday Thursday afternoon. According to witnesses Phillips hit the van after it ran a stop sign.
The driver of the BMW was Josh Phillips, 24.
The wreck’s victims were transported to Riverland Medical Center, where they were treated for injuries of varying degrees.
“It appears the van ran the stop sign on Seventh Street,” Ferriday Police Chief Richard Madison said.
Wrecker crews rushed to clean the road, police allowed a few cars to squeeze past the accident site one at a time and crowds gathered along both sides of the highway to watch as the accident’s victims were loaded onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.
Ferriday resident Willie Henderson witnessed the crash.
“The van sat at the sign for a while, and then it shot out and the car hit it,” Henderson said. “It sure gave it a flip.”
Cindy Harper, whose business is located at the corner of Seventh Street and Louisiana Avenue, was on the phone at the time of the accident.
“I heard the wreck happen, and then I saw the van just spin,” Harper said. “I took off running because I was afraid it might catch on fire.”
After seeing the van flip, Harper said she was amazed the incident didn’t turn out worse than it did.
“It’s a miracle someone wasn’t killed,” she said.
Comments
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 4:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm so glad no one was killed in this incident, proof of why Ferriday obviously is in need of cops focused on traffic violations as well!
Posted by Choctaw (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 5:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the Ferriday cops have been focused on nothing BUT traffic violations lately!!! The problem is,,,,the ones they have been writing are all for made up charges!!! Don't dare have a peck in your windshield,,,,Or drive 2 miles over the 35 mph speed limit,,,,You'll be awarded one of Ferriday's "golden tickets"!!!
And if you are being stopped by one of Ferriday's finest,,,,DO NOT open the car door and get out! You might be tazered!
Glad no-one was seriously hurt in this wreck though!
Posted by whatever (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 5:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And they took them to Killerland...they should have just stopped at a neighbors house and given them a bandaid because that's all the Killerland does...or they ship people to Cabrini....*rolls eyes*
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Glad noone was injured seriuosly...hope they all recover completely.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Even when I was a little kid in Ferriday in the 70s people ran across that main drag all the time. I had a dear friend run over a little girl one time because she darted in front of her vehicle. There are many stories of this but I guess you can't stop pedestrian traffic. People will forever jaywalk. Hey...why haven't they given out tickets for jaywalking if they are so "ticket happy"?
Posted by dixiemama (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Growing up in Natchez in the early late 40's,59's & 60's I remember two children getting hit by cars one one the end of S. Canal & one on Madison St. Those are the only two I remember. I'm sure there were others. I wasn't allowered to cross the street until I could prove to my parents that I would stop & look both ways then WALK NOT RUN. My Dad's theory was if you run you could fall so you must have been in a hurry to bet a car. SO wait until you see NO cars coming then WALK. It irratated me but, now 60 years later I realize he just he loved me. Now I repeat Daddies history theory with my grandchildren. Now I realize it really makes alot of sense.
Posted by BurningStar (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 1:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dang. I knew BMW'S were tough - but it FLIPPED the van? Wow. They really are tough!
Posted by dmackZuluking (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 5:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This aticle was written by Vershal Hogan-ND. My question is, Was anyone given a citation? Who was driving the Van? It looks like your witness Mr. Henderson could have told you the answers to my questions.
Posted by Roy (anonymous) on March 28, 2008 at 5:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL. Teach4Peace you were being sarcastic....right.
Posted by Lily_Dream (anonymous) on March 29, 2008 at 12:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What does Jay-walking pedestrians have to do with this accident??????? The story clearly states that 2 vehicles were involved. Secondly, I feel that when you are placed in a situation where your life is approaching the flat=line, you might need to go to KILLERLAND, as it was so candidly labeled. Riverland saved the life of 7 of my family members who were injured in a nearly fatal accident in Wildsville 7 years ago. My elder sister, was injured the most. She had to be extracted from the vehicle, where the steering wheel was wrapped around her like a bracelet. After being Life-flighted to Riverland, she was there for 2 days and then flown to Shreveport. Had it not been for Riverland, my sister and numerous others would be buried today.
In an essecne, be thankful that you still have a hospital or perhaps an emergency care center in your area. Thank you RMC!!! Some people are just ungrateful and don't realize how blessed they re; irregardless of their personal opinions, they MIGHT need you someday!
Posted by damifino (Gale Coleman) on March 29, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
((whatever)) A few years ago (5-6) I suffered a bout of appendicitis. Riverland took me right in, ran all the tests, and thanks to wonderful doctors and staff, I was wheeled into surgery within an hour, and was out of there by the next afternoon! I had the best care that could be delivered...in fact, BETTER care than one could receive in a large hospital because it was more one-on-one. And thankfully, if they CAN'T take care of you, they do ship you someplace else after they get you stabilized rather than keeping you and trying to do something they aren't equipped to do. Ferriday has some really great doctors, nurses and anethisist(sp?) and please, if anything else ever happens to me, take me to Riverland! Thankfully, because of careful administration, we still have them.
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