Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests I hope Ford goes DOWN

News Release

For further information please contact: Cpl. Doug Alexander (816) 622-0800

A Missouri state trooper was killed in a traffic crash today, May 22, 2003, at approximately 6:59 a.m. The crash occurred on the right-hand shoulder of eastbound Interstate 70 near the 47-mile marker.

Trooper Micheal L. Newton, 25, had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation at approximately 6:54 a.m. Trooper Newton, and the driver of the vehicle he had stopped, were sitting in the patrol vehicle. At approximately 6:59 a.m. Troop A radio began receiving phone calls about a traffic crash at that location. An eastbound pickup pulling a flatbed trailer traveled onto the shoulder and struck the rear of Trooper Newton's patrol car. The impact of the crash forced Trooper Newton's patrol car into the rear of the vehicle he had stopped. The patrol car burst into flames.

Trooper Newton was killed inside his patrol car. The passenger was pulled from the patrol car through the passenger window by witnesses at the scene.

The passenger was transported by air ambulance to the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia with third degree burns covering 40 percent of his body. The driver of the pickup was transported to a hospital in Lexington, MO, by ambulance for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Trooper Newton joined the Patrol on January 1, 2001, and was commissioned on July 21, 2001. He was a member of the 78th Recruit Class. He was assigned to Troop A, Zone 9, Lafayette County upon graduation from the Patrol's Law Enforcement Academy. He is a native of Newburg, MO, and is survived by his wife and two sons. The investigation continues by the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Major Crash Investigation Unit.

Second trooper to die, first on in NY couple months back.

why don't you elaborate on the whole "ford" thing

There have been numerous reports of squad cars going up in flames when hit from the rear. whoa...that sounds kinda gay...

They have trouble with fire after collisions...

I personaly dont think ford ought to go down but ought to have a large ass leagal suit to fix thier squad cars. To me is sound like it was hit pretty damn hard. However the families shoudl at least get a very very large sum. How do you know a chevy wouldnt of had problems beign struck like that? Either way they beign ford need sto work on thier fuel tank and try to make it more safer from rear impact. Thats my opinion on that matter. I mean after all ford didnt rear end thier own car now did they? Sh!t happens man.

Yup a CrownVic.

i think he's mad cause something about crown vic cop cars being succeptible to exploding when they get rear ended, and ford not wanting to do anything about it. i dont know the whole story tho.

That's happened in AZ multiple times. Finally the state decided to suspend all current and future orders of Ford patrol cars until a resolution was met.

Now there's a huge drive by Ford to convert all of their cars to fuel bladders that are more resistant to this sort of thing. Think racing fuel cell...

With all due respect to the loss of the numerous officer's lives due to these sort of incidents....
When are these sue-happy douchebag state attorney generals going to realize that if a stationary object, namely a gasoline filled automobile is struck by an object in motion to the tune of 55mph plus, namely another vehicle, there's most likely going to be an explosion, and yes anyone in the car is probably going to die? It's simple physics. I'd like to see these conditions replicated with other types of vehicles. I'll bet the same thing is going to happen. It's not Ford's fault if someone behind the wheel of a car is negligent enough to not notice a car's roof ablaze with strobe lights, and not think to stay clear of it. So to say "I hope Ford goes DOWN" is a very ignorant, poorly thought out statement.

My $.02