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89 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, August 2, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 1, 2004 Fifth victim’s family, friends also grieve By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Kathy Carlon wants people to know the other side of the story about last weekend’s automobile crash on Highway 140 near Fish Lake that killed five people. The tale of four members of a Central Point family that died in the accident was detailed in several news articles during the past week. But not much was said about the fifth victim, Carlon’s daughter Patricia Lambert, 49, a former Sams Valley resident who called Klamath Falls home for the past five years. "I feel sorry for the other family," Carlon said. "I know they’re grieving. But Patty has a family, too, and I’d like her to be recognized. She has family and many friends here." Last Sunday, Lambert was headed toward Klamath Falls in a Ford pickup driven by longtime boyfriend Max Bennett, when a 1999 Ford Contour crossed the highway’s center line and collided with their vehicle. Bennett, 48, of Klamath Falls, was listed in fair condition Saturday at Rogue Valley Medical Center. Just as she did most every weekend, Lambert was traveling east on the highway after spending the day with her daughter and three grandchildren at their White City home. Advertisement "She was down visiting, and we had such a good time," said Lambert’s daughter, Jackie Dickinson, 25. "When she left, I told her I loved her. I never expected it would be the last time I’d see her." Dickinson’s 4-year-old twin sons, Riley and Lane, and her 9-month-old son Cody, lost their other grandmother last December, Carlon said. "They can’t understand where granny went," she said. Lambert grew up on a ranch and worked for years alongside Bennett, a horseshoer by trade. The couple had been together for about 10 years, and both lived in Sams Valley from 1995 until 1999. "(Bennett) loved my mom with all of his heart," Dickinson said. "They were together all the time." Bennett’s sister Kathy Compton, a Southern California resident, said that while her older brother’s physical wounds are slowly healing, full recovery is still a ways off. "Every day, he sounds a little better," said Compton, who has spoken with Bennett several times this week. "But I’m sure that once he gets out of the hospital, it will hit him all over again. "The whole thing is horrible," she added. "My brother just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Oregon State Police said the Contour, driven by Bobby Vanzant, 27, struck Bennett’s pickup after skidding and turning sideways in the highway while trying to pass another vehicle. Vanzant was killed, as was his wife, Becky, 24, their 1-month-old daughter Zoe, and Becky’s brother, Robert Bartlett, 23. Becky’s other daughter, Juliana Bartlett, 2, was seriously injured and spent the week in a Portland hospital before being released Friday, family members said. Dickinson said her mother’s "worst fear was always a car accident". "It was a horrible thing, all the way around," Carlon said. "I just feel that (parents) are supposed to go before (their) children." Lambert’s other daughter, Billi Lambert, lives in Chiloquin with her 14-month-old child, Caylie. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times