Six people were involved in a two vehicle crash around 12:45 p.m. Saturday afternoon on Highway 56 at Hurricane Bridge.
Trooper Shannon Brinkley of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says 28 year old Jennifer A. Griffith of Smithville was driving north in a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan when she lost control in a curve before crossing the bridge. The vehicle went into a counter clockwise spin, crossed into the southbound lane, and struck a 2003 Nissan Frontier pickup truck head-on, driven by 48 year old Jeffery L. Delaney of Millington, Tennessee. Trooper Brinkley says Delaney swerved to the right toward the guardrail as far as he could but he was unable to avoid the collision.
Griffith’s father, 49 year old Gary Hoffman of Toledo, Ohio and her two daughters, 5 year old Kristen Griffith and 18 month old Cadence Griffith were passengers of the minivan.
Hoffman was ejected through the rear window of the mini van and went over the guardrail and forty feet down an embankment.
He was taken by DeKalb EMS to Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Hoffman was later transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Meanwhile, 45 year old Maria R. Robertson of South Haven, Mississippi, a passenger of the Delaney truck, was trapped and had to be extricated from the vehicle by members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Extrication Team. The department’s Cookeville Highway Station also responded to the accident.
Robertson was also transported by DeKalb EMS to the hospital in Cookeville.
Trooper Brinkley says Delaney and Jennifer Griffith were not transported by ambulance but later checked themselves into the emergency room of Cookeville Regional for treatment. Neither Delaney, Griffith, or the children were believed to have been seriously injured.
Mrs Griffith was charged with failure to use due care. Trooper Brinkley says the road was wet and it appeared she may have been driving too fast.
Delaney was charged with not wearing his seat belt.
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