Fiery wreck injures four, one seriously
Staff writer
A 27-year-old woman with what was described as a major head injury was airlifted in critical condition Friday to Wesley Medical Centre in Wichita from a burning wreck in the 600 block of W. Potters St., south of the city park in Peabody.
Samantha J. Ratzloff, 27, Lehigh, was driving a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup when it overturned and caught fire. A report from Peabody police blamed inattentive driving.
Riding with Ratzloff were McKayla Oursler, 26, Peabody, and two children younger than 5.
Peabody Police Chief Phillip Crom said the accident remained under investigation. He would not release names of the children. He did say all passengers were taken to Wesley by Marion ambulance.
With Hillsboro ambulance in Wichita, Marion and Tampa ambulances were dispatched along with Peabody firefighters, who initially were confused about the wreck’s location.
Peabody fire chief Colton Glenn said dispatchers first said the wreck was at Potters Corner but the actual scene was Potters St.
According to Crom, 16-year-old Storm Meadows, who lives near where the truck wrecked, rushed to the scene with blankets and wrapped up the children before ambulances arrived.
“He is the one that kept these children warm,” Crom said.
Glenn also covered the children to keep them warm until medical help arrived.
The fire was extinguished by 8:56 p.m. Marion ambulance arrived at 9 p.m. An EagleMed helicopter, hampered by difficulty in selecting a shared radio talkgroup, arrived at 9:26 p.m. along with Tampa ambulance. Hillsboro ambulance also responded upon its return from Wichita.
“We had a great response immediately,” Glenn said.
Glenn said Peabody Fire Department had trained more extensively over the last couple of years than it did in the past.
“We are now the best qualified in Peabody history,” Glenn said. “I feel really confident this last year that we’ve got a professional group of guys. We are moving in the right direction, and it’s good for our town and our county.”
All ambulances were back in their stations by 1:27 a.m. A state trooper was called to help investigate.