Former Councilman Joe Wilson hurt in crash
Trailer filled with sod collided head-on with his car, police say.
Date published: 5/27/2008
BY EMILY BATTLE
Former City Councilman Joe Wilson was taken to Mary Washington Hospital this morning after a landscaping trailer collided with his car while he was driving on William Street.
Wilson’s injuries were said to be non-life-threatening by city police.
He was reportedly able to talk to rescue workers at the scene and never lost consciousness. The most significant injuries were to one of his hands.
Wilson, who is also chairman of the board of trustees of MediCorp Health System, parent company of the hospital, was driving a 4-door Hyundai up the hill toward William’s intersection with College Avenue when the accident occurred just before 9 a.m.
According to Fredericksburg Police, a Ford pickup pulling a medium-duty utility trailer loaded with sod was heading in the other direction on William Street.
The trailer came loose from the truck near the intersection. The trailer crossed into oncoming traffic and hit Wilson’s car head-on.
The mechanism that connected the trailer to the truck went through Wilson’s windshield, and the trailer body ended up on the hood of his car.
The driver of the truck, William Tibbs, 24, of Spotsylvania County, was charged with having an expired inspection for the trailer, having defective brakes on the trailer, having defective equipment and not wearing a seatbelt.
Tibbs was driving the truck for Commonwealth Irrigation and Landscape, the Spotsylvania County company that owns the truck and trailer.
The accident shut down William Street in both directions while Wilson was extracted from his car and taken to the hospital. The road has since reopened.
Wilson owns PermaTreat Pest Control and serves on Fredericksburg’s Economic Development Authority.
Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
ebattle@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 5/27/2008
Most recent reader comments:
One Officer is.
(posted by
roadraid
, May 28, 2008 9:00 am)  
The one in the video. Officer Walker is a federal motor carrier inspector that "Dave" hired. However, this crash didn't involve a commercial motor vehicle.
they don't care
(posted by
theREALdeal
, May 28, 2008 4:13 am)  
How many officers in the Fred P.D. are quilified to inspect CMV'S? I suspect NONE! Other departments do..... I guess it just isn't a priority for ol' Dave.....
Who needs to be killed?
(posted by
Tellusthetruth1
, May 27, 2008 7:36 pm)  
I hope the council member is O.K. My point is over 400 people are killed by these unsafe trailers in just one year.
Why does somebody important need to be hurt before we address this issue. Just last year your paper reported a loose trailer hitting VDOT workers.
I have the article.
www.dangeroustrailers.org
Dangerous Trailers
(posted by
Tellusthetruth1
, May 27, 2008 7:34 pm)  
Please go to www.dangeroustrailers.org
This accident is pure negligence.
The trailer is a double axile so it should have gottne inspected.
If it is over 3,000 pounds then Federal law states that it must get inspected. In addition it did not have the safety chains connected and the breakaway cable connected.
Our Virginia State Crash team told our state we have a problem with these trailers but yet we do nothing.
Not me...........
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