Trucks, cars crash in thick fog, five sent to hospitals

MAYWOOD -- Three trucks and three cars collided in dense fog north of the Maywood junction Wednes-day morning, sending five people for treatment at hospitals. A Curtis woman remains hospitalized at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Joel Smith reported that fog had reduced visibility when Dennis Werkmeister, 47, of Maywood was turning southbound off a county road 1.8 miles north of the junction onto U.S. Highway 83 at 8:45 a.m., and was struck by a northbound car driven by Kaylia Dold, 25, of McCook.

The two vehicles were blocking both lanes of the highway when the Werk-meister truck was struck by a southbound tractor-trailer rig driven by Douglas R. Shaffer, 51, of Overton.

A northbound dump truck and trailer driven by Jerry E. Patterson, 34, of North Platte, stopped short of the accident, and was struck in the rear by a northbound car driven by Patricia L. Dizmang, 55, of Curtis.

Another northbound car, driven by Carol Collicott, 54, of McCook, then struck the rear of the Dizmang car.

Dizmang was transported to Great Plains Medical Facility by Frontier County ambulance personnel where she was treated for neck injuries and then transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

A condition report on Dizmang was not immediately available from the Kearney hospital. She was alone in her car and was wearing a seat belt.

Kaylia Dold and her passengers were also transported to the North Platte hospital by Frontier County rescue personnel.

Kaylia and her mother, Teresa Dold, 54, of McCook, were treated for chest injuries and released. Kaylia's daughter, Chloe Dold, 2, was treated for abrasions to her face and released. Seat belts were in use in the Dold car.

Collicott was transported to Community Hospital of McCook by private vehicle, where she was treated for neck injuries and released. She was alone in her car and was wearing a seat belt.

Truck drivers Werkmeis-ter, Shaffer and Patterson were not injured. None were wearing seat belts.

The Dold, Dizmang and Collicott cars were totaled. The Werkmeister and Shaffer trucks and Patterson trailer sustained moderate damage.