Two people dead in Collier crash

[Rob]

Two people dead in Collier crash

By news-press.com
Originally posted on September 23, 2007

Collier, South Florida - Michael A. Price Jr. of Bonita Springs, and Nicole M. Weber of Naples, are both dead after a single vehicle crash while traveling northbound on I-75.

The 2006 Yellow Corvette was traveling north of Pine Ridge Road on Interstate 75 early Sunday morning.

The driver, Price, was traveling past the speed limit and failed to maintain control of the vehicle.

Around 2 a.m., the corvette traveled northeast while rotating clockwise and entered the unpaved east shoulder where it struck a tree on its left side.

The impact severed the vehicle in half.

The front half of the vehicle rotated counter clockwise around the tree and came to final rest upright four feet away from the tree.

The impact caused the driver to be ejected from the vehicle. He landed in shrubbery in the east unpaved shoulder.

The rear half of the corvette traveled northeast and overturned, striking another tree with its right side and catching fire.

Both 26-year-old occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

 

[Rob]

Two locals die in fiery Corvette crash on I-75

Two locals die in fiery Corvette crash on I-75

By Daily News staff
Originally published — 1:43 p.m., September 23, 2007
Updated — 8:19 p.m., September 23, 2007

Two people died early Sunday morning on Interstate 75 in a one-car crash involving a Corvette traveling at a high rate of speed, according to state troopers.

Michael A. Price Jr., 26, of 29112 Alessandria Circle, Bonita Springs, and Nicole M. Weber, 26, of 4480 Robin Ave., Naples, were pronounced dead on the scene as the Corvette was split in half, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Price Jr. was driving north on I-75 with Weber as a passenger when he lost control near the 107 mile-marker and his 2006 yellow Corvette started spinning in a clockwise rotation. The car then hit a tree on the left side, splitting it in half.

Price was thrown from the car and landed in some shrubs on the east side, unpaved shoulder of I-75..

The back half of the vehicle hit another tree and exploded into flames.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported that the Corvette had exceeded the state speed limit when he lost control.

The accident occurred just before 2 a.m.

Price had lived in Bonita Springs for the past two years and Miller lived with him for the past year, according to neighbors.

John Obst said Price kept to himself and was in good shape.

"He went to the gym every day, he looked after himself very well and to be snuffed out like this," Obst said.

Obst said the Corvette model was a Z06, which is the high performance version of the car.

Another neighbor, Carol Shannon, who is also a carrier for the Naples Daily News, said that Price kept to himself.

"He was a very quiet person, we knew him enough to say hello," Shannon said.

Price's Myspace page said that he was a 1999 graduate of Barron Collier High School. According to neighbors, he worked for a power sweeping service. His Myspace page said he was part owner of Sandman Services, a power washing/power sweeping company.

Melted pieces of yellow panels and charred trees mark the spot of the accident near the northbound on-ramp at Pine Ridge Road and I-75 Sunday evening. The area still smelled like ashes. One of the trees had been knocked down, and long skidmarks from the road into the brush were still embedded in the ground.

Troopers did not know at the time if the crash was alcohol-related or whether Price or Weber were wearing seat belts.

The two were transported to the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office.
---
Daily News staff writers Wasim Ahmad, Tom Hanson and I.M. Stackel contributed to this report

 

[Mac]

Damn...

-Mac

 

[Rob]

Family, friends set up makeshift memorial for I-75 crash victims

Family, friends set up makeshift memorial for I-75 crash victims

Two locals died in fiery Corvette crash Sunday

By WASIM AHMAD
NapleNews.com
Originally published — 1:43 p.m., September 23, 2007
Updated — 4:33 a.m., September 24, 2007

Dan Vincent saw the wreckage of a yellow Corvette at the side of the road along Interstate 75 in the early morning hours of Sunday.

He thought a car had just ended up in a ditch, and after his offer of towing help was turned down, he turned his Hummer around and went home.

Vincent, 23, of Naples, didn’t think that almost 24 hours later, he and his friends would be setting up a memorial for the victims – one of whom turned out to be his best friend Jon Weber’s sister, Nicole M. Weber, 26, of Naples.

“I saw the accident and turned around and offered to pull them out,” Vincent said. “Later on I found out it was Jonny’s sister.

Michael A. Price, Jr., 26, of Alessandria Circle in Bonita Springs, was driving with Nicole Weber, of Robin Ave. in Naples, early Sunday morning. They were the victims of the crash that Vincent saw.

Price was driving north on I-75 with Weber as a passenger in the Corvette, a high performance Z06 version, when he lost control of the car near the 107 mile marker and his car started spinning in a clockwise rotation. The car then hit a tree on the left side, splitting it in half. Price was thrown from the car and landed in some shrubs on the east side, unpaved shoulder of I-75.

Troopers say the car was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crashed at about 2 a.m.

The back half of the vehicle hit another tree and exploded into flames.
FHP troopers said the Corvette had exceeded the state speed limit when he lost control.

At the scene of the accident, Jon Weber, Vincent and their friend, John Fletcher, 20, of Naples, set up a makeshift memorial to the victims around 2 a.m. Monday. Vincent walked around the site, picking up pieces of what was left of the Corvette.

He pointed out melted wiring, pieces of the car’s windshield washer system and yellow fiberglass. Jon Weber didn’t say much as he worked to finish the red and white cross dedicated to his sister and boyfriend.

“We’re just taking it one day at a time,” Jon Weber, 21, of Naples, said. “There’s not much you can do.”

Jon Weber said his sister's birthday had been just the day before.

He wondered about the lack of guardrails where his sister died.

“I can’t understand why there are guardrails on the other side and not on the right,” Jon Weber said. “It could have saved their lives.”

Vincent said a sports car that low would have just bounced off the guardrails. As it stands, the car went off the road and into the trees. The long skid marks, knocked over trees, and melted body panels mixed with ashes tell the story.

Price had lived in Bonita Springs for the past two years and Nicole Weber lived with him for the past year, neighbors said Sunday. The two were “practically married” her brother said.

John Obst, one of the couple’s neighbors in Bonita Springs said Price kept to himself and was in good shape.

“He went to the gym every day, he looked after himself very well, and to be snuffed out like this,” Obst said.

Another neighbor, Carol Shannon, who is also a carrier for the Naples Daily News, said Price kept to himself.

“He was a very quiet person, we knew him enough to say hello,” Shannon said.
Price’s Myspace page said that he was a 1999 graduate of Barron Collier High School. According to neighbors, he worked for a power sweeping service. His Myspace page said he was part owner of Sandman Services, a power washing/power sweeping company. Myspace is a social networking Web site.

Troopers did not know immediately if the crash was alcohol-related or whether Price or Weber were wearing seat belts.

The two were transported to the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Jon Weber didn’t have any information on a memorial service yet.

Daily News staff writers Tom Hanson and I.M. Stackel contributed to this report

 

[Rob]

Related video:

http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=877bd3df94bc9360b9c5

 

[NORTY]

2 am? What was Micheal's BAC?

 

[bwing]

Related video:

http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=877bd3df94bc9360b9c5

Damage that extensive tells me that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. I would like to know how long the skid marks were. Were they from braking? I can calculate speed from skid but it would be a "minimum" speed prior to hitting the tree. Tragic accident. I, too, would be curious to know what his BAC was.

 

[Mac]

As destroyed as that Vette is, the BAC wouldn't matter. At that kind of speed, the margin for err is nil. My sympathy to their families.

-Mac

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

Damage that extensive tells me that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. I would like to know how long the skid marks were. Were they from braking? I can calculate speed from skid but it would be a "minimum" speed prior to hitting the tree. Tragic accident. I, too, would be curious to know what his BAC was.

The skid marks are most likely from lateral wheel travel. I'm assuming ofcourse, and you know what they say about that.

 

[kenmack]

SAD!!! INTERESTING

Can't help but wonder if this unfortunate couple had been travelling in a pickup or say a trailblazer with an optional 400 hp engine if the news would have even mentioned make model performance.
It was the high performance version of the volkswagen passat.not likely!!!!!

If it involves a Corvette they always mention it.
Strange bias in news reports when it comes to sports cars,I suppose they think people are more interested in this kind of tragic news,when they can put some kind of abstract BLAME ON THE VEHICLE, well it was a Corvette Z06, the high performance model.
You don't need lots of horsepower to go fast.
Like everyday vehicles aren't driven at rediculously unsafe speeds and get into accidents all the time.The LATE MODEL SEDAN rolled over 13 times after leaving the highway at high speed.
JUST MY $00.02 WORTH

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

If it involves a Corvette they always mention it.

I agree kenmack. I think that people see how Corvette owners care for their cars. There is an underlying sense of glee at the thought of one being destroyed. If there is any death involved, people assume that excessive speed definitely was the reason, regardless of the true circumstances.
A Corvette's performance also seems to be what other people try to measure their cars performance against. You see it everyday, five minutes from leaving your driveway there is always a minivan, dodge pickup, jeep cherokee, toyota carolla, ford taurus, ford mustang, honda motorcycle, honda civic, nissan sentra, or even a garbage truck, riding too close to your rear bumper. (five minutes or less) A Corvette driver minding his own business, that comes up on some highway traffic seems to automatically trigger a stampede of eratic driving behavior around them, like turning on a light switch. The Corvette is always being challanged, never receiving a break to just cruise along in peace. This is the Corvette life as we all know it far too well.

 

[muddywaters]

Mr. Griffiths, That is soooo true.............I always witnessed idiotic behavior driving a Vette.....My wife got to see it when we took the Torch Red 99 for a ride............I understand what "Seeing Red" means........

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

Mr. Griffiths, That is soooo true.............I always witnessed idiotic behavior driving a Vette.....My wife got to see it when we took the Torch Red 99 for a ride............I understand what "Seeing Red" means........

My wife thought it was my imagination until she saw it for herself first hand behind the wheel. She could not believe it. Now she gives it some throttle and makes her own space.

 

[Jimmyz]

Very sad.

 

[catbert]

A Z06 is a great car to kill yourself with. It doesn't suffer fools easily. Don't you think people should know that by now??????????