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News-Journal Dealer and 71-Year-Old Who “Had 2 Beers, Maybe 3,” in US1 Smash-Up

July 27, 2010 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Steve Salyerds' truck, after the wreck. (© FlaglerLive)

Steve Salyerds, 39, of Palm Coast, an independent dealer with the News-Journal–he distributes newspapers to stores and racks–was driving north on U.S. Route 1 in his Chevy Silverado pick-up Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m. when he approached an area fraught with wrecks: the vague bend in front of the White Eagle Lounge, near Old Dixie Highway.

Salyerds never saw it coming, he told his father. Another pick-up truck similar to his, driven by Ralph Russo, 71, of Bunnell, was pulling out of the lounge, where Russo said he’d had “two beers, maybe three.” Russo was trying to make it to the median to turn left and go south. He never made it. Salyerds never had time to apply the brakes. He hit Russo’s truck on the driver’s side. “As soon as he hit the grass he started flipping. I think twice, he said,” Salyerd’s father, Terry Sellers, said. Sellers and his wife got to the scene soon after the wreck.

Salyerds and Russo were both by themselves in their vehicles.

“Never saw him coming, to tell you the honest truth,” Russo said.

Russo, who said he’s just beaten cancer, said he’d just picked up groceries and stopped “for a couple of beers. But I ain’t drunk.”

Russo was given an abbreviated field-sobriety test administered by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, who had him follow his finger. The trooper told Salyerds’ parents that Russo passed the test.

Russo elaborated: “Two, maybe three beers, tops. I’m not drunk. I could drink more than that, but I just went shopping. See all the groceries in the back of my truck? I saw some friends of mine here with the bikes, a couple of fellow Marines, stopped and had a couple of beers and left conscious, not unconscious.”

The newspapers Salyerds was carring in the bed of his truck were scattered in the median before they were put back in the righted truck. No charges were filed. An investigation continues.

The accident scene, looking south, across from the White Eagle Lounge on U.S.1 Tuesday afternoon. (FlaglerLive)
Ralph Russo, who was driving the other truck, looks at the Silverado he ran into. (FlaglerLive)
Russo's truck. (FlaglerLive)
Salyerds' windshield. (FlaglerLive)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymase says

    July 27, 2010 at 10:05 pm

    I live near there. I cantsay how many times I was almost hit.

    Reply
  2. charles says

    July 28, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    this is his second crash at same location told people he was dibetic had gum and can dietcoke they let him go without test its insane could have killed someone last crash about 6 mnths or so ago

    Reply
  3. Phil Chanfrau says

    July 29, 2010 at 8:05 am

    It’s refreshing to see a drive like Mr. Russo who was responsible for a crash to admit without any hesitancy that he “never saw” the oncoming driver who he pulled in front of. Most times driver’s like Mr. Russo blame the other driver for speeding, or for a sudden lane change. Thank God both drivers survived the crash.

    Reply
  4. Janine says

    September 16, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    Steve is my cousins husband. It’s not mentioned in the article that they were married only a few weeks before this happened. So Thankful he walked away!

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    January 31, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    My sisiter was hit there 3 years ago

    Reply

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