A tractor trailer rig, driven by 42 year old William Gossett of Gordonsville, crashed through the dining area of the Dairy Queen building on West Broad Street around 7:04 a.m. this morning (Monday)
Gossett, who was driving for Classic Carrier Express of Monteagle, was not injured. The restaurant was also closed at the time of the accident and no one was there.
Trooper Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who is investigating, said Gossett was traveling east on Highway 70 when “the tractor trailer exited the roadway to the right, struck a sign in front of Larry’s Discount Grocery. The sign was then thrown through and busted the front door of the store (Larry’s).”
“The tractor trailer continued eastbound traveling through the parking lot of Susie’s Restaurant. It also took down their sign.” (Susie’s Restaurant was also closed at the time).
“The truck then entered the westbound side of Dairy Queen, went completely through the building, and exited through the other side, where it came to a final rest, with most of the vehicle still inside the building.”
Trooper Jennings says Gossett was enroute to Monteagle at the time of the crash and there was no load on board. “It’s unknown at this time why the driver exited the roadway. He states that the the only thing he remembers is leaving DeKalb Market after getting something to eat. We don’t know if he had a medical problem or what at this time. That’s still under investigation.”
Others on the scene were Trooper Allen England of the THP and members of the Smithville Police and Fire Departments.
Larry Hancock, owner and operator of Larry’s Discount Grocery, says he was outside loading dog food into a customer’s vehicle when he heard a noise. Hancock said the semi then brushed against a utility pole as it went by and then proceeded straight through the parking lot in front of Susie’s Restaurant and into the Dairy Queen.”
Hancock says other than the sign and the front door glass, his building received no other damage but the electricity was off for a while this morning while the electric company replaced a transformer on the utility pole hit by the truck.
John and Amy Bourne, owners and operators of the Dairy Queen, say while they are still in shock with what happened to the restaurant, they are very happy that the truck driver, nor anyone else was injured in the accident. “It was in God’s hands for sure with him not being hurt after seeing what the truck looks like and with it going clear through the building,” said Amy Bourne.
Ms. Bourne says the Dairy Queen usually opens for business at 8:30 a.m. so no one was in the building at the time of the crash, but if the mishap had occurred an hour later, there probably would have been someone there. “The first thing I thought about was the person driving the truck. After I found out that he was okay then everything else started racing through my mind about the building and how that the Dairy Queen has been a landmark for Smithville. It was heart breaking.”
It’s unknown right now if the restaurant can be repaired or will have to be rebuilt, but Ms Bourne says the business will be re-opened. “We have structural damage all the way to the back of the building. We have roof damage from the front to the back. Equipment, cake cases, we don’t have any idea as to the dollar amount of the damage. If you think it looks bad outside, you ought to see what the inside looks like. It is really, really, bad.”
“We ask the public to be very patient. It’s going to take a while to get everything up and going again. We don’t know if this building will have to be completely torn down or if it can be repaired. It’s so early, we don’t know anything right now.”
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