
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 24, 1994                   TAG: 9408240055
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CRASH VICTIMS NOT IDENTIFIED

The three men who died Monday in Henry County in a fiery crash with a garbage truck still had not been identified Tuesday evening because they were too badly burned.

State Trooper Dennis Ferguson said he believes the men are all from Martinsville, but won't be sure until an autopsy scheduled for this morning. He said indentification has been hampered by a lack of medical records for the men.

The men died when they collided head-on with a garbage truck in the Sandy Level area.

Ferguson said the men were traveling south on Virginia 610 about 2:20 p.m. when they crossed into the left lane and crashed into the northbound truck. The truck, owned by First Piedmont Inc., a private refuse-removal company, pushed the car back 41 feet before the car burst into flames, Ferguson said.

All three men in the car were dead on the scene, according to Ferguson, though he was not sure if they died from the impact or the fire. He said the driver of the truck, Larry Adkins, 34, of Spencer, and a passenger, Jimmy Parks of Axton, were not injured.

The highway was blocked in both directions for nearly six hours while rescue workers removed the men's bodies from the car, Ferguson said.

The accident occured in a sharp turn in an area with a 55-mph speed limit, according to Ferguson. He said early indications are that the car was speeding.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB