Two injured in accident before parade

By ED RUNYAN
and PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A vintage tractor went out of control downtown before the start of the Veterans Day parade, injuring its driver and a member of a motorcycle group waiting at a traffic light.
Witnesses said the tractor moved erratically as it headed north Friday morning through the intersection of North Park Avenue and High Street, turning right onto High and hitting three motorcycles in a group that was to be in the parade.
A motorcycle driven by Larry McGuinness of Cortland, with his wife Teri as a passenger, wedged into the McCormick Farmall tractor's wheels, stopping it before it could hit more motorcyclists.
Rich Morgan, a weathercaster for WKBN-TV 27, said he saw the tractor, driven by Reva Montgomery of Lordstown, bump into a tractor in front of her driven by her husband, Bob Montgomery, and come to a stop in the northbound lane at the intersection.
Wild ride
Morgan said he then noticed the wheels on her tractor were turned to the side. When she started to move again, the tractor turned right -- in the direction the wheels were turned. The tractor hit the curb, tossing her into the air.
From the other side, Andy Repasky of Champion was among some 30 members of the Warren Harley Owner's Group sitting on their motorcycles waiting to proceed west on High Street through the light to the pre-parade ceremony at Monument Park. He saw the woman being tossed around as the tractor came toward him.
He said she momentarily straightened out the tractor and brought it back under control, then she lost her balance. Motorcyclists tried to get out of the way, but one, Jeff McCaslin, 53, of Howland, was injured and later taken to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital. He was stable Friday afternoon and expected to be released, a spokeswoman said.
What witnesses saw
Witnesses also said they thought Reva Montgomery, 54, fell under the tire of the tractor and was run over. She was also taken to the hospital and was stable Friday afternoon. Repasky said he would have been the next motorcyclist hit if the tractor had not stopped.
"She cut across the corner. She came right up over the curb," said motorcyclist Charles McMonagle of Bristolville. "She got thrown off the tractor."
"When she jumped the curb here, her body flew off the seat. It was like she was on a horse with her foot caught in the stirrup. The foot held on, but she went underneath the tractor," McGuinness said. "I didn't know which direction to move because the tractor was moving so erratically. ... The next thing I know, she's bouncing off motorcycles and ends up stopped on top of mine."
"I saw it whip her off, and she was going around with the wheel. That's what it looked like," said motorcyclist Karen Vucco of Cortland. "It was going up like it was doing a wheelie."
Tractor damaged
Montgomery asked officers if he could drive the tractor off the street. They allowed Montgomery to drive the tractor a few feet, and he managed to move it off the street and into a parking lot entrance. At that point it became apparent the steering was not working, and the linkage inside the engine compartment was broken. The tractor was towed from the scene.
Montgomery, who told officers he had recently rebuilt the tractor, wore a Trumbull County Steam and Power Association cap. He told police he and his wife drove the tractors, which were to be in the parade, to downtown Warren from Lordstown.
The accident scene was cleared in time for the parade to proceed eastbound along High Street from Mahoning Avenue to Vine Avenue.
runyan@vindy.commilliken@vindy.com