By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury man was transported to the hospital Tuesday morning following a single-vehicle accident. He remains hospitalized.
Laddie Richard Bohacek, 71, of 775 Barnhardt Road, was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center and later flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
A hospital spokeswoman said Bohacek was still being treated and no condition for him was available late Tuesday.
According to N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.R. Morgan, Bohacek was in critical condition earlier Tuesday.”It appears to be medical. It is still under investigation,” Morgan said.
The trooper said charges are pending.
Hospital officials told the trooper that Bohacek’s blood sugar level was low.
The driver ran off the road, hit a ditch and overturned several times, Morgan said.
He said the truck came to rest on its wheels. Morgan said Bohacek spoke little at the scene.
“He was limited,” Morgan said.
The accident happened at 11:15 a.m.
Locke Fire Chief Rusty Alexander said he and fellow firefighters came upon the F-250 pickup already wrecked.
They were returning to the station from another incident.
“We called it in. It had just happened,” Alexander said.
The man had to be cut from the truck using the Jaws of Life. The truck’s cab was severely dented. The doors and hood were caved inward.
Bohacek had a head injury and cuts to his face, Alexander said.
A helicopter was on its way, but the wait would’ve been about 20 minutes. Bohacek was taken by ambulance to Rowan Regional.
The truck landed in a field across from 5714 Mooresville Road where Jennifer Carter lives. Carter said she heard her dogs barking.”I heard four or five booms,” she said.
When Carter looked at where the noise was coming from, she saw the pickup across the road in the field.
She called 911 and went to check on the driver.
“His head was kind of bobbing from side to side,” Carter said.
She also noticed a strong smell of alcohol. A nearly empty 12-pack of beer lay on the ground in the wreckage. A single can lay beside the box.
Carter said she wasn’t sure if the alcohol smell was coming from the driver or the spilt beer.
Firefighters and workers with Kluttz towing picked up several items that had fallen from the truck, including money, papers and a United Way sign that read “Laddie Bohacek parking space winner.”Carter called the area a hot spot for wrecks.
“Once every couple of weeks there’s one,” she said.
Locke Fire Department responded and was assisted by Franklin, Rowan County Rescue Squad and Rowan County Emergency Services.