Tractor-Trailer Loses Control Leaving Several Injured and One Dead

By Kaelyn Lowe
SYRACUSE, N.Y. July 8, 2019 – Harold Mead, 18-year-old college freshman at Carlton State

University, died after a tractor-trailer lost control on Interstate 81 around 9:30 Monday morning

at mile marker 83 near the village of Tully, New York. The accident resulted in a 20-car pileup,

where 25 people were injured. Following the accident, there was stand-still traffic for about

three hours.

At the time of the accident, Mead was in the car with his 18-year-old girlfriend, Natalia Rojas,

who was also a student at Carlton. She was unhurt. Most of the 25 injured were transported to

nearby Seraphim Hospital and released soon after being treated. Four people, including the

driver of the tractor-trailer, John Archibald, 42, remain in the hospital and are in serious

condition.

Hector Salsito, driver of a Ford Taurus involved in the pile-up, said, “I saw the big truck flip up

ahead, and on a normal road, I would have had plenty of time to stop. But my brakes wouldn’t

work in the deep water. I feel lucky to walk away from this."

The night before the accident there were heavy rains and severe thunderstorms, resulting in

flooding roads and surrounding low-lying areas the morning of the accident. According to the

New York State Department of Transportation, part of Interstate 81 was under construction and

poor drainage due to the construction work may have been a contributing factor to the accident.

The driver of the trailer, 42-year-old John Archibald, worked for Northeast Shipping Co.

Archibald was traveling north when he hit a large puddle on an overpass under construction and

lost complete control of the vehicle. The trailer then jackknifed, rolled over and hit the SUV

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traveling in the next lane.

“It was like a small lake on that overpass,” said State Trooper Jerry Mariano. “Once the tractor-

trailer went down, I don’t think the rest of the cars had a chance. This is the worst pile-up I've

seen in the last 20 years.”

On the morning of the accident, Harold Mead and his girlfriend were on a road trip together back

to school after visiting Harold’s family in his home town, New York City. The accident was

very sudden and a devastating moment for many people in the Mead family, as well as faculty

and students of the university. Members of the faculty and staff at Carlton State University have

organized a memorial service dedicated to Mead and his family.

“We’re saddened by the death of Harold,” said Amy Wainwright, dean of student affairs at

Carlton State University. “He and his girlfriend were on their way back to Carlton after visiting

his family in New York City. Harold was well liked on our campus by both friends and faculty.

He was studying political science and one day hoped to go into politics. We send our

condolences to the Mead family and all of those impacted by this accident.” said Amy

Wainwright, dean of student affairs at Carlton State University.

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