Runaway trailer kills woman at hot dog stand
Reported by: Erik WaxlerEmail: ewaxler@wfts.com
Last Update: 10:22 pm
A 16-year-old on his way back from mowing lawns, was driving this white pick-up truck through the intersection of Hillsborough and Nebraska. He says after going over a dip in the road, his trailer came loose. That's when it plowed into the two victims right in front of the hot dog stand.
"It sounded like two cars colliding, a crunch," says Harris who was applying for a job at the auto repair shop where the hot dog stand was setting up.
A 40-year-old woman who was working there was killed. She is identified by TPD has Catalina Allmon from San Benito, Texas.
The man who owned the stand, was trapped under the trailer, and witnesses jumped in to help. "Everybody was like, lay still, don't move, everybody was like trying to reinforce that," says Harris.
The injured man is Vicente Quintero from Plant City. He is still hospitalized, but his injuries are not life threatening.
According to her pastor, the woman who died just moved to Tampa from Texas to start a new life with her two daughters. He says spoke to her just after Sunday church services.
The teenager driver was cited for not securing his trailer.
Unhitched trailer kills
woman
Updated: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2009, 5:36 AM EDT
Published : Monday, 24 Aug 2009, 10:54 PM EDT
Reported By Kristin Wright
Click Here To View Video
Unhitched trailer kills
woman
Updated: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2009, 5:36 AM EDT
Published : Monday, 24 Aug 2009, 10:54 PM EDT
TAMPA - A trailer came off of a truck in Tampa Monday afternoon and slammed into people at a hot dog stand on Hillsborough Avenue near Nebraska, killing a woman and seriously injuring the owner of the stand.
The stand was about to open for the first time. The owner was still setting up, when out of nowhere, everything stopped.
"We were inside the shop and we heard a loud screech. It sounded like two cars colliding," said James Harris, who was applying for a job inside a car repair shop where the vendor set up.
Police say the pick-up truck was headed west on Hillsborough when the trailer unhitched. Police say the trailer hit the owner of the stand and a friend of his wife's. She was visiting the area from Texas, and police identified her as 40-year-old Catalina Delcarmen Allmon.
"I said 'check her pulse.' He checked her pulse. And basically to tell you the truth, I probably saw her last breath," said James Harris, who saw the accident.
Police say the owner of the stand, 42-year-old Vicente Hernande Quintero, suffered life-threatening injuries.
"We just basically told him to 'relax, try to be calm, just don't move, don't move, wait for the paramedics to come' and we dialed 911," Harris said.
Investigators took measurements and pictures to try to determine what went wrong.
The driver of the truck is 16 years old. He said the trailer detached after he went over a large bump in the road on Hillsborough.
"If it's improperly attached, you can be liable and you can be charged, but again that's so premature," said Tampa Police Lt. Ronald McMullen. "It may have been a freak accident. That's the way it appears at this time, but like I said it's too early to make a determination without all the facts."
Passersby commented that no day is promised.
"They were going to open the stand up and just try to make a dollar in the economy the way it is. It's sad," Harris said.
Trailer comes loose, kills hot dog vendor
TAMPA - A woman hot dog vendor was killed and a man seriously injured when they were struck by a runaway trailer on Hillsborough and Taliaferro avenues on Monday afternoon, Tampa police said
The accident happened about 4:15 p.m. when Dennis Tintle, 16, was driving a pickup truck west on Hillsborough, towing a riding lawnmower on a trailer. The trailer came loose from the truck and went barreling toward a former gas station at the corner of Hillsborough and Taliaferro.
In the parking lot at the intersection the operators of the hot dog vending business - 40-year-old Catalina Delcarmen Allmon of San Benito, Texas, and 42-year-old Vicente Quintero of Plant City - were setting up their small stand when the errant trailer slammed into them.
Allmon was pronounced dead at the scene. Quintero was taken to Tampa General Hospital with what were described as non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Police said the two had just recently decided to open their business at that intersection and were setting it up when the accident happened.
The accident snarled traffic along that stretch of Hillsborough for more than two hours.
Tintle was cited for failing to secure his trailer. Tampa police detectives also are investigating the accident.
Comments:
Posted by ( ndk ) on 08/24/2009 at 05:08 pm.
What? no chains on trailer?
Posted by ( denmar ) on 08/24/2009 at 05:33 pm.
Girl was just trying to make a living. I hope she didn't suffer. Scary, we were walking right by that intersection 2 days ago. You just never know.
Posted by ( rob1crazydude ) on 08/24/2009 at 05:50 pm.
i just had a problem with my trailer breaking loose but the chains held
just long enough to keep it behind me while i got stopped,,i doubled
the size of them to make sure next time , you think they are going to
hold but it streteched that chain like it was nothing,, too many people
take it for granted,if they are old replace them thanks lord it wasnt
me,, condolensces to the ladies family
Posted by ( rob1crazydude ) on 08/24/2009 at 06:40 pm.
as i said earlier my trailer jumped off at the railrod tracks on hillsborogh,, i wasnt speeding the road just is rough if he was heading west the nebraska ave could be uneven and caused the trailer to life, if he was turning it could have puilled loose from the hitch,,, CHAINS saved me,,,but a 16 year old,,, who knows what he was doing..
Posted by ( danport301 ) on 08/24/2009 at 07:32 pm.
This kid (16 years old) has to be charged with something, involuntary
manslaughter. That trailer should have been chained as well as hitched
properly. Police have to charge him with this. All trailers come with
chains unless it’s a homemade type. If it was homemade, it should have
had chains attached as a secondary protection measure in case the
object came loose or unhitched. I can’t imagine a 16 old driving a
truck with a trailer and no adult riding alongside. It makes no sense.
Citations, violations or a suspension. And yes, if it’s insured, those
two will be compensated regardless of where they were standing or what
they were doing. Well, the one that is in the hospital will be eligible
for insurance compensation if he lives, of $10,000 minimum, or caused
death of 70,000 dollars. The women is dead, her family will collect."
Jail time anyone"
Posted by ( tedh1112 ) on 08/24/2009 at 07:34 pm.
I bet this trailer's brakelights and turn signals didn't work
either.This is an unfortunately bad case of wrong place at the wrong
time.
Posted by ( reptaddict ) on 08/24/2009 at 08:10 pm.
I wonder if the 16-year-old attached the trailer to the truck. If so,
expecting a child that age to properly attach the trailer and properly
drive a vehicle pulling that trailer is asking an awful lot. I don't
see any criminal charges here, but the family of the deceased will be
collecting a hefty paycheck from somebody. My sympathies to the
deceased and to the teen who has an awful lot of guilt with which to
deal.
Posted by ( scootertoo ) on 08/24/2009 at 08:36 pm.
There is also a danger thinking that if the trailer coupler fits over
the ball on the hitch everything must be O.K. However, most couplers
today are for a 2" ball such as at all rental centers, but you often
find 1 7/8" balls on the tow vehicle. You are talking only a 1/8"
difference but a little wear and a rough road, crossing or even a turn
can cause the towed vehicle/trailer to come loose. ALWAYS check your
load, and again at the end of the day.
Posted by ( bharre ) on 08/24/2009 at 09:59 pm.
I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE FAMILIES. I'M REQUESTING ALL LAWENFORCEMENT, WHEN
WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CHECKED THE CHAINS ON ANY TRAILER THIS SUMMER?
PLEASE LET THIS HORRIBLE ACCIDENT TEACH US ALL A VALUABLE LESSON IN
SAFETY. STOP TRAILERS THAT DO NOT HAVE PROPER TAIL AND BRAKE LIGHTS,
TAG AND TAG LIGHT AND INSTALLED SAFETY CHAINS. THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE
YOUR OWN.ALL TRAILER OWNERS, WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC
FOR TRAILER SAFETY.THANKS,
Posted by ( RobKay ) on 08/24/2009 at 11:53 pm.
Does anyone think they know a 16 year old who is wise enough, level headed enough, and serious enough to be trusted to guide a 2 ton vehicle at speeds up to 70 mph or higher, especially when there are a half dozen of them in the vehicle? Letting a 16 year old drive is just fool hardy and an accident waiting to happen. I'm not saying there aren't a few who are but try having an intelligent conversation with the bag boy next time you're in the grocery store and remember he's driving a car. You'll see what I mean.
Posted by ( 91stormvet ) on 08/24/2009 at 11:54 pm.
Hope that aspiring business man was bonded or insured because he is about to get his arse handed to him!
Posted by ( wynotgold ) on 08/25/2009 at 12:03 am.
The kids in Florida are lucky. Live where I live at and try to get a drivers license at 16. They'll laugh in your face and tell you try again when your 18. It's illegal to operate a vehicle under the age of 18. Unless you happen to fall under the grandfather clause.
Posted by ( pinkie ) on 08/24/2009 at 06:39 pm.
16 years old and pulling a trailer? Someone's going to pay. It will probably be the tax payers.
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