Several injured in pair of weekend wrecks

Local News

November 25, 2006

By SHARON DODSON, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Sat Nov 25, 2006, 05:55 PM EST

A Georgia man was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center after his vehicle struck an earthen embankment on Piney Woods Road Saturday.

Jerry L. Gabe of Ringgold, Ga., was treated at the scene by Somerset Fire/EMS and flown by helicopter by Life Net to the Lexington hospital shortly after he lost control of his 2000 Ford Ranger at 4:49 a.m. Saturday morning.

According to a news release from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, Gabe’s Ranger was traveling north on Piney Woods Road when it left the east side of the roadway, traveled through a fence and struck an earthen embankment. Deputy Steve Molen said the Ranger became airborne as it traveled across Ky. 761 before it came to rest in a field.

Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash based on evidence gathered at the scene.

A condition report on Gabe was not available at presstime. Nancy Fire Department assisted at the scene.

In a separate accident this holiday weekend, a Somerset man and four people from Waynesburg were injured in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Ky. 70 Friday.

Carthel Beshears, 80, of Carthel Beshears Road was injured when his pickup was struck by a southbound vehicle on U.S. 27.

According to Deputy Jason Lay, Beshears was operating a 1996 Chevrolet pickup from a business, located on the west side of U.S. 27, and attempted to cross U.S. 27 to enter Ky. 70 east bound.

Beshears’ vehicle entered U.S. 27 and was struck by a 1994 Ford, southbound on U.S. 27, and operated by Brandi Allen, 31, of Waynesburg, a news release stated.

BeShears and a passenger in the Allen vehicle, Danelle Owens, 13, of Waynesburg were treated at the scene by Somerset Fire/EMS and transported to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.

Allen and two other passengers, Krista Owens, 11, and Owens, 9, both of Waynesburg, were transported by private carrier to the Somerset hospital.

The accident occurred at 12:30 p.m. 12 miles north of Somerset.

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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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