THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 2, 1994 TAG: 9408020357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Susan Shaffer was driving west along Interstate 564 on Monday morning in rush-hour traffic when she heard the explosion. A few hundred feet ahead of her, a blue 1987 Subaru had burst into flames.
Shaffer, a 38-year-old travel agent, pulled over and helped pull a badly burned young woman out of the car, possibly saving her life.
The Subaru was one of four cars involved in an accident on I-564 less than a mile from the Terminal Boulevard exit about 7:50 a.m. that resulted in two deaths and two injuries.
Both women who died were trapped in the front seat of the Suburu. They were identified as Jacqueline Thomas, 34, and Theresa Lacoursiere, 36, both of Virginia Beach.
The woman who was rescued, believed to be 19,
received third-degree burns over half her body. She was in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, said hospital spokeswoman Deborah Myers. Police have not yet released her name.
Yvonne Johnston, 33, of Virginia Beach, who was driving the Isuzu Trooper that hit the Subaru, received minor head injuries. She was taken to DePaul Medical Center where she was treated and released Monday afternoon.
Johnston was charged with reckless driving, and may face additional charges, state police spokeswoman Tammy Van Dame said.
Another car, a Ford, was involved in the accident but no one in that vehicle was hurt.
Details on exactly what happened are sketchy, but apparently the Subaru had become disabled and pulled into the striped safety zone area on I-564 near the point where the HOV lane empties into the interstate.
``It seems the Isuzu Trooper that was driving along the HOV hit the Subaru, causing both vehicles to go into a spin,'' Van Dame said.
The Isuzu Trooper crossed into the interstate and was hit by the Ford.
The Subaru crossed into the HOV lane and was hit by a Nissan 300ZX, Van Dame said. By now, witnesses said, the Subaru was on fire.
``I had to screech to avoid hitting it myself,'' said Shaffer, the travel agent. ``I pulled over to the right and got out and saw a woman in the back seat of the car that was on fire screaming for help.''
Shaffer said she tried but was unable to pull the young woman out window of the burning car. Another man, Robert Gorman, finally pulled the woman out by bracing his foot on the top of the car and grabbing her by the back of the pants and pulling.
``She was conscious the whole time, and after we pulled her away from the car I stayed with her and talked to her, trying to calm her down,'' Shaffer said. ``She asked me if I was a Christian and I said yes, and she asked me to pray for her.''
The young woman said her sister was in the burning car, Shaffer said.
Fire officials said that by the time they arrived, the car was fully engulfed in flames and it took them awhile to realize that there were people still trapped inside.
``After we had gotten the flames somewhat under control one of our men stuck his head in the car and gave out a loud gasp and jumped back,'' Norfolk Fire and Paramedical Services Capt. Ronald Morgan said. ``I didn't have to see the bodies myself, I knew from his reaction what he saw. I just asked him if they were moving, and he said they weren't.'' ILLUSTRATION: Map
STAFF
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC FATALITIES INJURIES by CNB