A 21 year old McMinnville man was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga Saturday evening after he lost control of his truck and overturned on Highway 56 south near Webb’s Chapel Church.
Central Dispatch received the call at 5:31 p.m.
Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says Joan Lopez was driving north in a 1992 Nissan pickup truck when he lost control after passing other vehicles.'”The subject passed some vehicles prior to the crash scene and when he came back into his lane of travel, he went too far and exited the roadway into a ditch line. He traveled approximately 200 feet in the ditch line, hit a driveway culvert, and the truck rolled across the church parking lot until it came to final rest on it’s side in the roadway just passed the Webb’s Chapel Church.”
Trooper England says Lopez, who had an odor of alcohol about his person, was ejected from the truck.
A Life Force helicopter ambulance landed near the scene on Ferrell Road to pick up Lopez and fly him to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. DeKalb EMS treated him until the helicopter arrived.
Members of the Keltonburg and Short Mountain Highway units of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department set up the helicopter landing zone. Other officers of the THP and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department assisted at the crash site.
The accident remains under investigation.
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