Freak accident causes seven-car pileup
Collision limits traffic to one lane Friday in downtown Marion
Traffic in downtown Marion was limited to one lane for more than an hour Friday morning following a seven-car accident on Main Street. One person received minor injury, but refused treatment, according to a report by Marion Police Officer Dean Keyes.
"We were just lucky no one was getting in or out of those cars when the accident occurred," said Police Chief Michel Soyez. "It was just a freak thing that happened."
A 1986 tan Oldmobile driven by Tillie Schwendiman, 81, 225 N. Cedar, Marion, was traveling southbound on Third Street and turned left onto Main in the path of a 2002 Pontiac driven by Patricia K. Chamberland, 41, 673 Walnut, Marion. The left front corner of the Chamberland vehicle struck the right front tire of the Schwendiman vehicle.
"When the vehicles struck, they each veered off in a 45 degree angle," Soyez said. The Chamberland vehicle was parked in a stall in front of Duckwall's when law enforcement officials arrived.
However, the Schwendiman Oldsmobile crossed the westbound lane of traffic and struck five vehicles parked on the north side in the 300 block of East Main. After striking the vehicles, the Oldsmobile came to rest on the yellow line in the middle of the street.
Also damaged in the accident were a white 2000 Dodge Caravan owned by Ronald D. Herbel, 611 S. Freeborn, Marion; a blue 1992 Cadillac Seville owned by Frances Helmer, 101 Eisenhower, Marion; a gray 1992 Honda Civic owned by Lloyd M. Davies, 119 S. Roosevelt, Marion; a maroon 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass owned by Kenneth D. Sandwell, 1940 Navaho, Marion; and a white 1996 Mercury Villager owned by Daniel Baldwin, 416 E. Santa Fe, Marion.
"Three of the vehicles were total losses," Soyez said.
Following the accident, Chamberland said she was okay, although a little shaken.
"I was just driving on through when we hit. There was a pretty good bang in the left front," Chamberland said. "It can all happen so easily, you don't even think about it."
Other owners gathered on the sidewalk near their wrecked vehicles to talk about the accident.
Lloyd and Robin Davies, owners of Great Plains Computers and Networking, 324 E. Main, said they came outside when they heard the sound.
Lloyd Davies said the crashing sound just kept on going. "It took a lot of time to hit all those cars."
Robin Davies was thankful no one was hurt, but was visibly shaken by the outcome.
"I usually park over there," she said gesturing west of the accident location. "Today, it was full, so I parked here. This has been the best car I ever owned."
Ruth Herbel, who was working in Bearly Makin' It Antiques, located in the same block, said she heard the crash when the Oldsmobile first struck the van. "It popped hard," Herbel said.
Chief Soyez said that in some ways it was fortunate the Oldsmobile struck the cars instead of the building.
"There was enough momentum that if it would have jumped the curb and hit the buildings they could have sustained significant damage," the police chief said, indicating that might have resulted in injury to those inside as well as the driver. "The cars served as a buffer, but it still half-mooned into the street.
Speed was not involved in the actual accident, although the Schwindeman vehicle picked up speed following the initial impact, Soyez said.
Due to icy patches on the street, the exact cause of the multi-vehicle accident could not be determined. "There'd be a skid mark, then no skid mark," Soyez explained. "A highway patrol accident reconstruction team could probably figure it out. But they don't investigate if no fatalities are involved."
The accident occurred at 10:34 a.m. Friday. Schwendiman sustained minor injury but refused treatment, according to the police report.
Soyez told Marion commissioners city crews were called in to clean up the broken glass and scrape up the ice patches. Soyez said he feared further injury if someone were to fall on the ice and cut themselves on glass imbedded in it.
