Woman dies in Ky. 80 wreck

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The driver of the wrecked 1996 Geo Tracker pictured at right, Marcy A. Higgins, 31, Somerset, died following an accident yesterday morning 13 miles east of Somerset at the intersection of Price Valley Road and East Kentucky 80. Higgins’ vehicle was rear-ended by a semi truck, sending her and her three child passengers into the direct path of another oncoming truck, which hit the car head on. Photo courtesy of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department

April 5, 2007

One large truck knocked car into path of another

By SUSAN WHEELDON CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Thu Apr 05, 2007, 08:52 AM EDT

A Somerset woman was killed in an accident yesterday morning that involved two semi trucks and a Geo Tracker.

Marcy A. Higgins, 31, Public Road, Somerset, was pronounced dead at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital by the Pulaski County Coroners Office following the crash which occurred at 6:46 a.m. at the intersection of Price Valley Road and East Ky. 80, approximately 13 miles east of Somerset.

According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, investigation at the scene revealed that Donnie L. Massey, 55, of London, Ky., was operating a 2002 Peterbilt combination semi truck and trailer loaded with coal and was headed west on East Ky. 80, when he struck the 1996 Geo Tracker being driven by Higgins in the rear.

At the time, Higgin’s vehicle was rear-ended, it was sitting stationary on East Ky. 80 at the intersection of Price Valley Road waiting to make a left turn. After the initial impact, the vehicle then crossed the centerline into the eastbound lane and was struck head-on by an eastbound 2007 Freightliner truck driven by Ronald Crowe, 57, of Nashville, Tenn.

Higgins and three passengers in her vehicle, Deanna Bowles, 11, Dakota Lee, 10, and Samantha Bowles, 14, all of Public Road, Somerset, were treated at the scene and transported to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital by the Somerset Pulaski County Fire/EMS.

Deanna Bowles was later airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center by Life Net, while Higgins was pronounced dead.

Pulaski County Coroner Richard New said that the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the chest area. No autopsy will be performed.

A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky Medical Center said that Deanna Bowles was in serious condition at press time last night.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital said both Samantha Bowles and Dakota Lee were treated in the emergency room and released.

Following the accident, Massey was cited for his Semi Truck being overweight by 7,050 pounds by Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement.

Assisting at the scene was Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, Shopville Fire Department, Somerset Pulaski County Rescue Squad, Somerset Pulaski County Haz-Mat Team, Pulaski County Public Safety Director, Kentucky State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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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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