Students and Teacher Involved in Head On Crash

Students and a teacher on their way to school were involved in a head-on crash this morning (Friday) on Allen Ferry Road (State Highway 83).
Central Dispatch received the call 7:10 a.m.
Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 18 year old Dustin Utley of 4406 Nashville Highway, Dowelltown was traveling on Allen Ferry Road toward highway 56 in a 1997 Nissan Maxima when he crossed the center line into the path of a 2002 Chevy Silverado, driven by 28 year old Cody Randolph of Smithville, who was traveling toward Highway 70. Randolph is a teacher and boys basketball coach at DeKalb Middle School.
Utley’s brothers were passengers with him. 10 year old Daniel Hudson, a student at Northside Elementary School, was a front seat passenger and 14 year old Christian Utley, a DCHS student, was in the back seat. Dustin is a former DCHS student who is apparently being home schooled this year.
The boys were all airlifted from the scene by three different helicopter ambulances (Life Force and Air Evac) and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Randolph was taken by DeKalb EMS to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital and later to Cookeville Regional Medical Center reportedly with a broken ankle.
Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s extrication and rescue team were summoned to help remove Randolph who was entrapped in his truck. The Main Station and Liberty Stations also responded to help establish the helicopter landing zone in the front yard of a residence beside the highway.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and Smithville Police Department were also on the scene along with Smithville Fire Chief/DeKalb Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Charlie Parker.
Trooper Delong was assisted at the scene by Trooper Brandon Jackson.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.