Tulsa World: Three die in plunge at quarry

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Three die in plunge at quarry
One person is in serious condition after a pickup falls about 170 feet.

Emergency personnel inspect the wreckage of a pickup that plunged about 170 feet into a quarry pit, killing three area residents and injuring another. Daryl Wilson / Tulsa World

By SHANNON MUCHMORE, DEON J. HAMPTON & CLIFTON ADCOCK World Staff Writers
Published: 9/6/2009 2:33 AM
Last Modified: 9/6/2009 4:47 AM

Listen to the 911 calls.

Three people died and another was injured in what police believe was an alcohol-related accident that sent a vehicle to the bottom of a rock quarry pit early Saturday morning.

Dead are Troy Adams, 24, Mark Gaches, 23, and Andrea Merriman, 21, according to Tulsa Police Department reports.

The sole survivor of the crash, Amanda Stone, 19, was taken to St. John Medical Center in serious condition but is expected to recover, police said. All four were from Cleveland, Okla.

Adams, Gaches and Merriman died at the scene after the Nissan Titan pickup they were in fell about 170 feet to the bottom of a pit near 137th East Avenue and 46th Street North, Tulsa Police Department Officer Leland Ashley said.

The survivor, Stone, called 911 from the scene at about 3:30 a.m. but was unable to identify where she was. She was found more than two hours later, Ashley said.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the truck and the other three passengers had been drinking and were speeding north on North 129th East Avenue, Ashley said.

At the intersection, the pickup went through the stop sign and continued north onto the quarry site. It traveled through a gate and then up a slight incline that

caused the truck to ramp over two boulders, which were being used as barricades to prevent people from driving into the mining pit, striking them as it passed over, Ashley said.

The truck then traveled through the air for more than 200 feet before striking two more boulders that were being used as barriers on the east side of the mining pit. The pickup eventually landed at the bottom of the pit, and all four people were ejected, Ashley said.

EMSA was first notified about the accident by 911/Tulsa police dispatchers around 3:30 a.m., but a search to locate the site ended unsuccessfully.

Then, just before 5 a.m., EMSA received a call from the lone survivor, Stone.

EMSA dispatcher Stephanee Corbet stayed on the phone with Stone for 45 minutes, calming her and trying to determine her location.

After intense questioning about the size of the hole she was in, the rock formations around her and what she could remember about streets she passed, Corbet guessed that Stone was in the north Tulsa quarry, EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said.

When EMSA personnel arrived, they yelled Stone's name and she was able to yell back.

Enhanced 911

Voters in December 2005 approved a 50 cent per phone monthly fee to pay for technology allowing dispatchers to pinpoint the locations of people dialing 911 from wireless phones.

Officials said at the time that purchasing and installing the technology could take as long as 18 months.

Earlier this year, officials said the Tulsa 911 center was converting to the enhanced wireless system. But before the system can be operable, all of the carriers have to have the equipment in place, and then testing must be completed. Officials said they weren’t sure when all of that will be finished.

By SHANNON MUCHMORE, DEON J. HAMPTON & CLIFTON ADCOCK World Staff Writers

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "3 dead after quarry crash," which was published on 9/5/2009.

	Report Comment Four Sixteen Rigby, Tulsa (9/5/2009 8:45:15 AM) "Clearly the fault of the quarry owner." - Personal injury lawyer hired by the families.
	Report Comment TOF, Tulsa (9/5/2009 8:52:37 AM) which is it 3 dead or 1 survivor
	Report Comment Saddle Tramp, (9/5/2009 9:01:33 AM) This is a sad day for the families of the young people and the survivor will feel the pain for the rest of her life. Our prayers are with all of the families members, GOD BLESS
	Report Comment FromTheHeart, (9/5/2009 9:03:53 AM) TOF - the way I read the article there were originally 4 in the vehicle, 2 male and 2 female. Out of the 4 there was 1 female survivor who was taken to St. Johns. Prayers to the families.
	Report Comment somewear, Yale (9/5/2009 9:04:44 AM) Thoufgts and prayers to the families and friends of these 3 or 4 young people.
	Report Comment Ryanoceros, Tulsa (9/5/2009 9:27:08 AM) Just teens being teens, I did stupid stuff too. It's a shame they were killed.
	Report Comment Libs-R-Us, (9/5/2009 10:25:49 AM) Ignatz, my thoughts exactly.
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, Small Country Town State Line (9/5/2009 10:25:57 AM) My condolences to the familys. I pray this girl who is a survior will be ok. Ryanoceros said it. a lot of us are lucky we made it out of our teen years.
	Report Comment mayor_maynot, Tulsa (9/5/2009 10:27:57 AM) I guess death makes the story better for Muchless TW. It looks like the survivor is mentioned as an afterthought. Oh well perhaps that will make another headline. Miracle survivor in rock quarry incident. My condolences to the families of these unfortunate youths. I'm just guessing that there is a gate for the quarry. If not there will be one soon. If it is posted no trespassing that will be plenty to protect the quarry.
	Report Comment thewolf88, (9/5/2009 10:39:59 AM) Totally the owners fault! What was he thinking, not putting padding and trampolines at the bottom of the no public access quarry for drunk drivers. we should just put those bowling bumpers up for all drunk drivers, all over the city, because they are not responsible adults like the rest of us have to be.
	Report Comment tao4mind, Enid (9/5/2009 10:41:52 AM) When I was in my teens or early 20's my personal vehicals had coat hangers holding the muffler system on. Air conditioning units were roll the windows down and the heater units were roll the windows up. My father drove a brand new mercedes benz and I was making carburetor gaskets from beer cans. The fastest car I had as a teen was a VW superbettle that you could see the road through the floor boards rust. Did my parents ever help me with vehicals? Yes, my dad would tell me that is a starter, take it off, the new ones in the box. He would fail to tell me to disconnect the battery. Our society has an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves. My sympathy to the families of the deceased.
	Report Comment okierose, Glenpool (9/5/2009 10:48:19 AM) My first thought was that the ambulance, police, fire, and whoever else will be sued since it took them 2 hours to find the accident. Even though the girl did not know where she was. The autopsy will show the other 3 were still alive within that 2 hours. I am certaily sorry for the families, but I hope they use common sense and don't sue anybody. No one's fault but the driver.
	Report Comment Ron B, (9/5/2009 10:51:11 AM) Chalk up three more lives taken due to alcohol. The toll is not far behind the murder rate, so what is it going to take to wake people up?
	Report Comment Mim Insoft, tulsa (9/5/2009 10:58:25 AM) tao4mind..im sorry to hear u didnt have much as a teen, but u dont speak for everyone..if u can afford the nice things in life ..then u deserve it..if not ...settle for what u can get..if ur 20 yrs old and driving a geo metro then u shud step ur car game up to at least a chevy caprice..thats my opinion..and a plane just crashed into chandler park email recvd on a blackberry ..if i had the first nokia phone they made, i wouldnt be able to recv important info like this...try to keep up..
	Report Comment WhereIsThought, Raleigh (9/5/2009 10:58:53 AM) Man, I get so sick of people posting crass comments when someone DIES, especially young kids like this. Ignatz, guess what, you DID say something about the gene pool, and you should be ashamed.
	Report Comment Bill Hader, Jenks (9/5/2009 11:01:49 AM) RonB, why so quick to blame alcohol? Perhaps it is the fault of the Imperial Government that say's your legal at 18, then walks on the rights of those legal citizens until 21 just to get a drink? Perhaps if the law was different they would have been in a bar or tavern instead of the quarry where they would not be caught breaking the law. Just a thought.
	Report Comment Knowwhentofoldem, Tulsa (9/5/2009 11:03:53 AM) Tao,huh?
	Report Comment JLTP, (9/5/2009 11:16:42 AM) The gene pool is just fine in this instance, I will assure you of that. How many of your mistakes have been followed by that question? These were young adults who made a very stupid decision, as many young people AND adults do every single day. Love to the families of my friends.
	Report Comment my view, Sand Springs (9/5/2009 11:26:07 AM) Alcohol was the factor in this accident, it's a shame.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, Austin, Texas (9/5/2009 11:45:50 AM) My condolences to their families and loved ones.
	Report Comment FRODO LIVES, Golden, MO (9/5/2009 11:52:00 AM) We all know teenagers do stupid things even sober. (personal experience many times and survived). Making it legal for teens to drink would be like throwing fuel on the fire. Ronb are you saying that they would'nt have been driving after leaving a bar or tavern? Get real
	Report Comment Bud Green, No (9/5/2009 11:55:25 AM) A sad, tragic story. RIP to the deceased and hope the survivor has a good recovery.
	Report Comment Ignatz, Broken Bow (9/5/2009 12:04:20 PM) Whereis and jltp are right. I misspoke and have asked TW to delete my thoughtless comment.
	Report Comment papiyawn, Bixby (9/5/2009 12:09:44 PM) How did they get in quarry anyway? They are supposed to be secure! God Bless the teens and their families.
	Report Comment danean, (9/5/2009 12:25:11 PM) Ok so i've read some of your comments and i just want to let you know what inconsiderate jerks some of you are. these people were friends to many people and loved. they were fathers and mothers, sons and daughters and for some of you to say stupid things like gene pool and clearly the boulders fault shows just how heartless people really can be. if you don't have condolences to their families then why even bother posting something. alot of people are hurting over such a loss as i'm sure some of you have experienced. so please spare the families your idiotic thoughts and keep them to your cold heartless selves. my condolences to the families of those who were good friends in high school. we are all mourning your loss and you are in my prayers.

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