From: (No Email available)

Date: 2006-06-27 08:35:43

Comment:

Too late,Crisis,take a look:

FYI....

Speed to blame
Nathan Key, Managing Editor, nathankey@newstopic.net
The car crash that claimed the lives of two Hickory men over the weekend is being blamed on high speed.
Matthew Potter and Mickey Suttle were killed Saturday morning when the 1995 Camaro Potter was driving went off the road and slammed into a tree.
Trooper T.C. Williams of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said Monday that reconstruction of the accident indicated that Potter was traveling 95 mph on Bowman Road in the Grace Chapel area of Caldwell County when he lost control of his car.
The vehicle skidded nearly 300 feet before crashing into a tree at an estimated speed of 55 to 60 mph, Williams said.
?What it all comes down to is speed and inexperience,? Williams said. ?There was a curve there, not a sharp curve, but for that speed it was bad.?
Potter had his license suspended less than a month ago. He and Suttle both were killed by the impact of the crash, Williams said.
Potter and Suttle were headed to a Waffle House in Hickory to eat Saturday morning, something they did on a regular basis, Williams was told by friends following in another vehicle.
?I think we tend to underestimate what can happen in a crash; we underestimate what happens when we make impact with something,? Williams said. ?Speed only amplifies the situation. If they had hit the tree at 35 (mph) instead (of 55-60 mph), they may still be here.
?When you reach high speeds like that, a tragedy usually happens when you run off the road and hit a fixed object or another car. People just don't realize how violent these crashes can be.?
Family members of Potter and Suttle, as well as friends, have been placing flowers, wreaths and notes at the site of the crash since it happened Saturday to show their remembrance of the two men.
Jeff Parham was preparing to coach a baseball game Saturday morning when he received word of the fatal crash. He played basketball with Carroll in high school and spoke of his two friends.
?Matthew was full of life, always smiling and just a great guy,? Parham said of Carroll. ?Mickey was a very smart young man and very well-liked. They were very polite and well-mannered. We're going to miss the kind of people they were.
?This just shows that we don't need to take anything for granted. We're not guaranteed tomorrow.?
?This is tragic. They both were very well-liked by the community so this isn't easy. We're going to embrace their families and try to provide all the comfort we can. They were loved by many.?