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August 12, 2005
Delivery driver dies of injuries after rolloverSCHMITZ POPULAR WITH DENIZENS OF SOUTHERN INYO COUNTY; WIFE, TWO CHILDREN SURVIVE HIM
By ROBIN FLINCHUM
Schmitz had been filling freezers in remote Southeast Inyo County for about three months, making deliveries to Shoshone and Tecopa every other Tuesday. Since his last visit, two power outages had resulted in ruined food and empty freezers and many customers were on the watch for the familiar yellow truck. Schmitz had been through Tecopa Hot Springs and Shoshone and was heading toward Tecopa Heights on California Highway 127 at about 2:45 when he tried to make the left hand turn onto Tecopa Hot Springs Road at a high rate of speed. "We don't know exactly how fast he was going," said California Highway Patrol Officer Tim Huldermann, who responded to the scene, "but speed was definitely a factor." Schmitz lost control of the vehicle when the heavy load shifted and the truck rolled at least twice, breaking into pieces. "The whole roof just exploded when it rolled," said Huldermann, and the cargo section also broke apart. Schmitz was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle, landing some 45 feet away. Emergency responders from the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District called for an air ambulance to transport Schmitz to University Medical Center in Las Vegas and he succumbed to his injuries a little less than two hours later. Schmitz was a favorite with his customers in Southeast Inyo - mostly retired seniors who looked forward to his visits and pored over their Schwan's catalogs with great relish. "He never acted like he was in a hurry, never pushed you to buy things," said Jeanne Vance, a Tecopa resident and regular Schwan's customer. "He cared about people and took the time to sit and talk with them like an old friend. When he noticed one man was eating mostly sweets, he convinced him to get some healthier food instead." Vance said one of her neighbors reported seeing Schmitz in Shoshone eating lunch just prior to the accident and saying hello. Schmitz was his usual, congenial self that morning as he made his deliveries, said Vance, and his regular customers were shocked and saddened to learn of his death only a few hours later. Schmitz lived in Henderson, where a wife and two small children survive him, said Huldermann. The Tecopa Hot Springs Road remained closed for several hours after the accident, while ice cream of all kinds melted in the sun and ready-to-bake bread loaves expanded in the heat. Food of every variety from frozen peas to lasagna dinners and corn dogs were scattered over a 400-foot area, clogging the roadway along with the pieces of the truck. The towing crew removed most of the debris on Tuesday afternoon, but much still remained on Wednesday. Although there were probably thousands of dollars worth of food lying out in the desert and many local residents had been unable to buy their usual orders because of the financial impact of losses incurred during two recent power outages, there were no reports of people scavenging the scattered goods. "People just thought too much of Tony for that," said Jeanne Vance. However, four-legged scavengers were likely to help the Inyo County road crew's cleanup efforts. "I hope the coyotes have a good communication system," said Jeanne Vance, "because they could really be having a feast out there." |
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