TN - Gail Nowacki Palmgren, 44, Signal Mountain, 30 April 2011 - #12

[JBean]

Welcome Su Harper

To my knowledge I haven't read or heard anything that has mentiond Gail's jeep disturbing the rocks along the road and Gail's jeep going over any shrubbery. However, seems to me IF that was indeed the spot where the jeep went off the mountain, people in the area would have immediately noticed rocks and shrubbery were missing...JMHO

>>Sheriff Hammond said the Jeep, when it went over, took with it a bear-shaped rock about the size of a car tire. He said a resident across East Brow Road had placed a series of large rocks by the road to deter drivers from going onto the property. Beyond the rocks was a grassy strip. There were hedges beyond that.

The sheriff said the Jeep hit the bear-shaped rock, went across the grassy strip and then through the hedges before tumbling over the steep bluff. The bear-shaped rock was found near the Jeep.

He said the Jeep landed far below on a first bluff, then fell to a second narrow bluff. He said were it not for some trees at that location that the Jeep would likely have rolled on down to the W Road.<<
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_214723.asp

IIRC, the neighbor did notice the issing rock but thought someone stole it.

 

[ThoughtFox]

http://www.wrcbtv.com/global/catego...d=6514094&topVideoCatNo=123979&autoStart=true
(snipped for space)

I also think LE must have had some very good reasons for the parts of information withheld from the public. We just don't yet know what it is.

I'm so interested in the sheriff's actual statements, because he is the one person I'm guessing to be privy to all the information. He's carefully choosing what to say and what to keep, obviously. I think there are clues in what he says and how he says it.

And at least he is giving out information every day, which is comforting. They don't owe us any information, but the Sheriff is being sensitive to the fact that so many people have searched and sleuthed and wondered what happened to Gail. I think it's significant that he has mentioned that the seatbelt was unfastened, for instance, and the rear end hit first. He also mentioned yesterday that the road was not curvy there, which confirmed to me that he sees this as a hinky crime scene and not easily explained.

 

[ThoughtFox]

I'm not sure where I read it, but wasn't there a post describing rocks along the road with shrubbery behind that and the Jeep going over the shrubbery? I did a Bing map search and found what might be that location. I'm not sure how to copy the picture, but this is the link. http://binged.it/uDzeLh

If she went through there while pulling off, it couldn't have been intentional, and why weren't the bushes torn up by the large jeep? It's weird that they noticed the rock was gone, but no other disturbance.

 

[ynotdivein]

What is the posted speed limit on that stretch of E Brow Rd?

 

[Pearl*]

What is the posted speed limit on that stretch of E Brow Rd?

I strongly doubt we have any signs posted. Sign ordinances are a big deal up here. Speed limits are generally 25 unless otherwise marked within the town, though.

 

[SuziQ]

>>Sheriff Hammond said the Jeep, when it went over, took with it a bear-shaped rock about the size of a car tire. He said a resident across East Brow Road had placed a series of large rocks by the road to deter drivers from going onto the property. Beyond the rocks was a grassy strip. There were hedges beyond that.

The sheriff said the Jeep hit the bear-shaped rock, went across the grassy strip and then through the hedges before tumbling over the steep bluff. The bear-shaped rock was found near the Jeep.

He said the Jeep landed far below on a first bluff, then fell to a second narrow bluff. He said were it not for some trees at that location that the Jeep would likely have rolled on down to the W Road.<<
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_214723.asp

IIRC, the neighbor did notice the issing rock but thought someone stole it.

So did the jeep go straight down from the hedges or is it a bit away from sailing through the air? If it's straight down that would indicate to me that it was pointed straight at the edge when it went over. Which looks like someone pulled it up pointed that way then pushed it over. JMO.

 

[Emeralgem]

What is the posted speed limit on that stretch of E Brow Rd?

Hopefully a local who travels East Brow regularly will be able to answer that question.
I haven't been on East Brow in years and can't recall ever traveling that section of the road..JMHO

ETA..Thanks Pearl for the information

 

[Emeralgem]

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...-disappeared-moms-remains-found-at-crash-site

Snipped

"It's really scary to drive if you've never been up there," said Elizabeth Aikens, who was mayor of the town of Walden from 1996 to 2002. "I have had people come here and say they will never come back because of the height."

But residents say accidents are rare, and that a car plunging over the side is virtually unheard of.

"Even when it's snowy and foggy, you really don't see accidents on this road," said Wendi Lyness, who has lived on the mountain 20 years.

 

[realdeal]

One thng you don't see a lot of on Signal Mtn is speeders. Signal LE is known for writing stiff tickets for minor infractions. It is nothing to be written up for doing 36 in a 35.

 

[KathyJ]

I just think Gail would have to be traveling at a high rate of speed to take that boulder with her down the mountain. Even if she went airborne hitting the boulder, it would have to be a high rate of speed to go airborne.

I don't think we will ever know what happened. So much time has gone by. Skid marks don't last forever on pavement do they?? I know they don't see any now but if there were skid marks someone would have had to see them back in May.

Another question from long ago...it had been reported someone say Gail in her jeep with a passenger ---was this the area that the witness had said she saw Gail?

 

[ThoughtFox]

I just think Gail would have to be traveling at a high rate of speed to take that boulder with her down the mountain. Even if she went airborne hitting the boulder, it would have to be a high rate of speed to go airborne.

I don't think we will ever know what happened. So much time has gone by. Skid marks don't last forever on pavement do they?? I know they don't see any now but if there were skid marks someone would have had to see them back in May.

Another question from long ago...it had been reported someone say Gail in her jeep with a passenger ---was this the area that the witness had said she saw Gail?

No, Gail went over on the eastern side of the mountain, and the sighting was on the western side in the Prentice-Cooper Forest. That is several miles away, almost in Sequatchie or Marion County.

 

[RabidBadger]

Have they said anything about evidence the rock was in contact with the vehicle? Paint scrapings etc?

 

[ThoughtFox]

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...-disappeared-moms-remains-found-at-crash-site

Snipped

"It's really scary to drive if you've never been up there," said Elizabeth Aikens, who was mayor of the town of Walden from 1996 to 2002. "I have had people come here and say they will never come back because of the height."

But residents say accidents are rare, and that a car plunging over the side is virtually unheard of.

"Even when it's snowy and foggy, you really don't see accidents on this road," said Wendi Lyness, who has lived on the mountain 20 years.

I've lived in Chattanooga all my life and never heard of anyone going over there. It's no more dangerous than Taft Highway if someone is driving slowly.

The fact that we only know of Gail's car and one other car at the foot of the bluff is evidence that it's a rare occurrance.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Have they said anything about evidence the rock was in contact with the vehicle? Paint scrapings etc?

Not yet.

 

[SilkySifaka]

And at least he is giving out information every day, which is comforting. They don't owe us any information, but the Sheriff is being sensitive to the fact that so many people have searched and sleuthed and wondered what happened to Gail. I think it's significant that he has mentioned that the seatbelt was unfastened, for instance, and the rear end hit first. He also mentioned yesterday that the road was not curvy there, which confirmed to me that he sees this as a hinky crime scene and not easily explained.

I live in a mountainous area and you would not believe how often I have seen cars go off the road on what seems to be a straight away. In fact my neighbor and I have both had cars land in our yards due to accidents. I don't understand the physics of it but it happens in good weather as well as bad.

I really feel its either an accident or self inflicted.

jmo

 

[Pearl*]

It appears now that a ruling of "accidental" will be the outcome:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16183651/investigators-working-to-remove-jeep-of-missing-mom (time on article: 12:36 p.m.)

 

[MsFacetious]

Hammond says the vehicle's "black box" has been analyzed, but wouldn't specifically say what it revealed. He says, so far, everything appears to be accidental.

Hammond says autopsy results should be available in about five days.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16183651/investigators-working-to-remove-jeep-of-missing-mom

Another up close picture of the Jeep there, I won't post it though.

 

[KathyJ]

It appears now that a ruling of "accidental" will be the outcome:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16183651/investigators-working-to-remove-jeep-of-missing-mom (time on article: 12:36 p.m.)

Ugh! The most recent photo of the jeep looks awful. Has anyone speculated where she was headed? Is this road she was on make sense to anywhere she could have been going?

What an awful accident!

 

[Emeralgem]

It appears now that a ruling of "accidental" will be the outcome:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16183651/investigators-working-to-remove-jeep-of-missing-mom (time on article: 12:36 p.m.)

Not trying to be argumentative but Hammond saying this appears to be accidental does not equate to the outcome being ruled as an accident...JMHO

IMHO..Just because something appears to look a certain way, doesn't make it a factual reality..JMHO

 

[carole]

Not trying to be argumentative but Hammond saying this appears to be accidental does not equate to the outcome being ruled as an accident...JMHO

IMHO..Just because something appears to look a certain way, doesn't make it a factual reality..JMHO

Exactly, the jeep still hasn't been removed from the mountain. It will be looked at closely for any evidence of tampering, etc.