European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 03, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday november 3, 1994 x the stars and stripes Page 3 a group of men looks Over the remains of a tractor trailer that collided with a Small bus near Kaiserslautern Germany on wednesday killing nine people. Rinan blocks Road kills 9, by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany nine employees of a German chemical company died Early wednesday when a tractor trailer tipped Over and crushed the Small commuter bus that was taking them to work. The Accident led German police to close portion of autobahn 6 for nearly 10 hours. Traffic throughout the Kaiserslautern area was affected causing Many . Services Emberland military civilian employees to miss the first few hours of work. We had supervisors an personnel who did t get in until after 12 noon said Michael Lamberg an inventor manager with the 200th theater army Materiel management Center. Four other people were injured in the crash including the truck Driver and his passenger said Klaus Hettmann an investigating officer with the German autobahn police. The four whom Hettmann would not identify Are being treated at a Kaiserslautern Hospital. The Accident occurred at 5 37 along Section of autobahn 6 that has been under construction. Normally East West traffic in this area is separated by a steel Guardrail. Because of the roadwork autobahn official rerouted eastbound vehicles onto the West bound Side and reconfigured the traffic lanes to facilitate passage through the construction zone. Trucks Are prohibited from passing fro the right hand Lane. Police think the truck Driver who was travelling from Poland allowed his truck to Drift onto the narrow shoulder As he drove Between the Kaiserslautern West exits hot said. The Driver then overcompensated when he tried to muscle his Rig Back onto the Road. He attempted to get Back on the Road and he did it too Quick Hettmann said. The tractor trailer which was hauling Large Rolls of electric Cable veered into the West bound passing Lane and tipped Over falling onto of the Small eastbound commuter bus. The bus was transporting nine base factory work ers from their Homes in the Kusel area to the company s chemical Complex in Mannheim. A of the base employees died on the scene Hettmann said. A car travelling seconds behind struck the flattened Van Hettmann said. The two men in the car were not seriously injured. The Driver of the truck and his passenger Are in Shock Hettmann said. The investigation is pending and no charges were filed wednesday. The Accident wreaked havoc with people s schedules and routines throughout the Kaiserslautern area. . Army sgt. Larry Westley a dental hygienist at Kleber Cavern said he Fig ures he missed about five appointments when his 30-minute drive became a four hour Odys sey. Lost As in lost time is the word he used to sum up his morning. ". I did t think it would be that Long. I thought it was a stau he said using the Ger Man word for a traffic Jam. However air Force staff sgt. Ronald Burgdorf of the 786th civil engr so made it to work on time because he took his motorcycle to the office. Re sus trial in cafes thefts. By 00yle Tillman a Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany still More suspects could fac trial in the insider thefts of More than $50,000 Worth of audio video and computer equipment from the base Exchange at Ramstein a authorities say. Those implicated last Spring when authorities began their investigation included seven civilians five Ramstein airmen and a Baur Holder Soldier. ,.- two airmen assigned to the 786th civil engr so and a Soldier As signed to Baum older already have been convicted of involvement. Third airman awaits trial and Ramstein officials said they Are weighing their options in the cases of two other airmen Law enforcement authorities have turned information on . And German civilians implicated in the Case Over to the Public prosecutor s office in Wei Brincken which handles criminal issues in the greater Ramstein Kaiserslautern area. The thefts which occurred in 1993 and Early 1994, Are not 4he larg est in the Exchange service s history but they Are significant for Amain Exchange said Carrie Higley Krowka an army and air Force Exchange service Europe spokeswoman. Set. William g. White or. Of the 786th civil engr so a former Afes employee awaits trial. The names have not been released of the 786th civil engr so senior airman and staff sergeant who have been investigated but not yet charged in the thefts. The civilians four former employees two us. Family members and a German National could face prosecution in the German Judi Cial system. " a /. A i former cafes employees Khaliq Al Haqq Maurice Brown and Charles Smith were among the civilians implicated cafes Europe officials refused to identify the other former civilian in previous military trials testified that Brown and Smith participated in the crimes. Al Haqq testified in August during a court martial in Baum older that he was the middleman for Brown and m. Royal the Baum older Soldier convicted in the Case. Al Haqq said he stole some of the Money Royal was to pay Brown for the under priced goods that actually were , according to Ramstein officials faces trial on one count of stealing nearly $14,000 Worth of equipment from cafes. He discharged with stealing two computer systems a third computer setup without a Monitor three televisions three videocassette recorders an multiple stereo components. Ironically Smith who had worked at cafes Ramstein Exchange and was fired after the investigation began was rehired in september for an intermittent Job at cafes in nearby Vogel Weh. He worked atthe Exchange service s Vogel Weh store until oct. 24, said Debbie Armendariz an cafes human resource specialist at said she was ordered to rehire Smith despite his involvement in the thefts. She said the order came from forme Ramstein human resources manager Carmine Conception. After some cafes consolidation in the Kaiserslautern area Concepcio transferred to a similar Job at Raj Lakenheath England the move had nothing to do with the Case or rehiring Smith Higley Krowk Asaid. A v " or a a a Concepcion would not say Why Smith was rehired and referred questions to cafes Europe Headquarters. H As for rehiring Smith Higley Krowka said we re not going to v / Royal and the two airmen were convicted of stealing More than $10,000 Worth of stereo computer television and video equipment from the Exchange service at Ramstein a. The airmen Are sgt. David k. A who was sentenced to six months in jail demo Tion to airman Basic and a bad conduct discharge. Senior airman Jerome , Hernandez who was sentenced to three months in jail a written reprimand in his permanent military re Cord and demotion to airman Basic. Royal was sentenced to six months in jail forfeiture of All pay and allowances demotion to the lowest enlisted Grade and a bad conduct discharge. Dod Banks need extra time on contract talks 9. -. By Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the defense department has extended its overseas Mili tary banking contracts which were due to expire oct. 1, for up to six months to allow More time for negotiations with the bidders officials said tuesday. The process of transitioning to a new contract took longer than expected said an official with the defense Supply serv ice which administers the banking con tract. Rather than letting the old con tract simply expire and having a break in service we extended the old an official with the defense depart ment comptroller s office said the Bank ing contracts Are among the More com plex contracts administered by the military. It s not a Normal contract he said. The administration and Psi Crement aspects Are very complicated. There Are a lot of regulations involved lots of t s to Cross and i s to the initial offering late last year for the new contract to run through fiscal 1999, brought 24 responses from Banks credit unions and other financial institutions the defense Supply service official said. In the end however the Only formal bids came from the two incumbents merchants National Bank of Indiana and nations Bank of Texas. Merchants has the contract for military banking facilities in Europe South Korea and Panama. Nations Bank operates in Japan and Oki Nawa i both Banks Are very healthy the comptroller official said. We re Fortu Nate in that defense department officials Are in the negotiation and discussion phase with the two Conj Anies on the nuances of the new contracts the defense Supply service official said. She declined to be More specific. The contract probably will be awarded Well before the six month Extension period expires. We Don t want to drag our feet and say that just because we have six months to do this we re going to take six months she said. The contract traditionally has been split among More than one company As it is now. But the defense Supply service official did not Rule out the possibility that either merchants or nations Bank could get All of
