Strong thunderstorms sweeping caused a heavy car crash
Rongzhen Lyu

TULLY, N.Y. – At 9: 35 a.m. on Aug. 25, a tractor-trailer lost control and smashed into an SUV, causing a chain reaction 20-car pileup near the village of Tully.
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Heavy rains caused this accident throughout the night and early morning, flooding roads and low-lying areas. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, part of Interstate 81 was under construction, and the ongoing work may have been a contributing factor due to poor drainage.
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Traffic was tied up for three hours. Twenty-five people were injured. Most of the 25 wounded were treated at nearby Seraphim Hospital and released. However, four remain in the hospital and are in serious condition, including the driver of the tractor-trailer, John Archibald.
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John Archibald is 42 years old, working for Northeast Shipping Co. he was traveling north when it hit a large puddle on an overpass under construction. He jackknifed, rolled over, and hit the SUV traveling in the next lane.
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State trooper Jerry Mariano said, “It was like a small lake on that overpass. Once the tractor-trailer went down, I don’t think the rest of the cars had a chance. This is the worst pileup I’ve seen in the last 20 years.”
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The driver of the Ford Taurus was involved in the pileup Hector Salsito, 32. He said, “I saw the big truck flip up ahead, and, on a normal road, I would have had plenty of time to stop. But my brakes wouldn’t work in the deep water. I feel lucky to walk away from this.”
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Sadly, this accident caused the SUV driver, 18-years old Harold Mead of New York City, dead. Harold Mead is a Freshman at Carlton State University. Also in the car was his girlfriend, Natalia Rojas, 18, a Carlton student. She is unhurt.
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It was more painful for Harold Mead’s family and friends, who experienced a hard time when they got this grievous news. Amy Wainwright, dean of student affairs, Carlton State. She said, “The death of Harold saddens us. He and his girlfriend were on their way back to Carlton after visiting his family in New York City. Harold was well-liked on our campus by both friends and faculty. He was studying political science and one day hoped to go into politics. We condolences to the Mead family and those impacted by this accident.”