Local woman dies in head-on crash

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July 9, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Thu Jul 09, 2009, 08:57 PM EDT

Somerset — A Somerset woman is dead and three other local individuals were injured following a head-on collision in southern Pulaski County early yesterday.

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department says Amanda Neely, 21, of Alexander Spur, Somerset, died at the scene of the wreck on South U.S. 27 near Sloan’s Valley Road.

Neely had been operating a 1995 Ford Mustang northbound on U.S. 27 when she crossed the center line around 5:54 a.m. and struck a southbound 1998 Jeep Wrangler operated by Joshua Ware, 19, of Jacksboro Street, Ferguson.

Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles by the Pulaski County Rescue Squad.

Ware was treated at the scene by the Somerset Pulaski EMS Department and was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center. At press time, Ware was listed in serious condition at UK.

Two passengers in Neely’s vehicle, Ashlee Worley, 25, also of Alexander Spur, Somerset, and Michael Messamore, 27, of West Ky. 80, Somerset, were also treated by EMS workers and airlifted to UK. Worley and Messamore were listed in critical condition yesterday evening.

Sgt. Jon Williams of the sheriff’s department said that, as far as he knew, all four individuals were wearing seat belts.

A child’s safety seat was in Neely’s vehicle, but no children were involved in the incident.

Traffic was blocked in both directions on South U.S. 27 for more than four hours while investigators worked at the scene, just in front of Sloan’s Valley Baptist Church.

Sheriff’s units were assisted at the scene by Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, the Tateville Volunteer Fire Department, the Parkers Mill Volunteer Fire Department, the Pulaski County Rescue Squad, the Pulaski County HAZ-MAT Team, the Pulaski County Coroner’s Office, the Pulaski County Public Safety Office, and the McCreary County EMS.

Authorities have said there were no witnesses to the crash, and it is difficult to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling at the time of the impact.

An investigation into the crash is continuing by the sheriff’s department’s Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Sgt. Williams did not say whether alcohol is being considered as a factor in the collision; however, blood tests to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs are routinely administered when a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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