A 16 year old girl was airlifted Thursday night after being involved in a two vehicle traffic accident on South Congress Boulevard in front of Jewel’s Market.
Laura Ann Sullivan was airlifted from the scene by a Life Flight helicopter ambulance and apparently flown to Vanderbilt Hospital.
Central dispatch received the call at 5:25 p.m.
Corporal Travis Bryant of the Smithville Police Department said Sullivan was a passenger of a 2009 Kia Spectra driven by 20 year old Andrea Ottinger. 16 year old Austin Wilmore was also a passenger.
According to witnesses, Ottinger was south on Highway 56 when she turned left attempting to enter the parking lot of Jewel’s Market. As she turned, Ottinger’s car crossed into the path of a northbound 2005 Chevy Trailblazer SUV, driven by 57 year old Edith Ella Lasser.
Neither Ottinger, Wilmore, or Lasser were seriously injured and apparently did not have to be transported to the hospital.
In addition to Smithville Police, members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, DeKalb EMS, and local tow truck services were all on the scene.

Smithville Police arrested a 21 year old man on Tuesday, December 28th on drug and theft charges after checking out a shoplifting complaint at Save A Lot.
Chief Randy Caplinger said Jeremy Silas Shelton of Jacobs Pillar Road was taken into custody by Officer David Phillips and charged with sale and delivery of a controlled substance and theft of merchandise. Officer Phillips responded to Save A Lot to investigate a shoplifting complaint. Upon arrival he found that Shelton had taken two bottles of Ibuprofen, put them in his pocket and attempted to leave the store without paying for them. Upon receiving verbal consent to search his person, police found in Shelton’s left jacket pocket two plastic wrappers of a white powdered substance believed to be methamphetamine. Bond for Shelton is $3,500 and his court date is January 27th.
22 year old Brandon Wayne Hutchings of Sparta was cited by Officer Scott Davis on Christmas eve for shoplifting at Dollar General Store. Hutchings was observed by a store employee placing merchandise on his person and walking out the door without paying for the items. His court date is January 6th.
20 year old Dorian Soza Hernandez of McMinnville was arrested on Christmas Day by Officer James Cornelius for simple possession of paraphernalia, resisting arrest and public intoxication. Officer Cornelius responded to 713 West Broad Street where a fight was taking place in the roadway. Upon arrival the officer found both persons in the parking lot of Bridgeway Motel. Hernandez was intoxicated and upon being placed under arrest, he became very belligerent and began resisting, pulling away, and refusing to comply. A search of his person revealed a hypodermic needle in his right front pocket. Bond for Hernandez is $3,500 and his court date is January 20th.
46 year old Claude Patrick Trimble of Tabernacle Road was arrested on Christmas Day by Officer James Cornelius for driving on a suspended license, evading arrest, possession of paraphernalia and DUI. Officer Cornelius was called to check out a vehicle that had run off the roadway. The same vehicle had also been traveling in the oncoming traffic lane on Highway 56 south. The officer saw a vehicle turn onto South Mountain Street from Meadow Brook Drive dragging approximately 20 feet of barbed wire. The automobile matched the description of the vehicle that had run off the roadway on Highway 56 south. As the officer activated his blue lights, the vehicle accelerated and then turned in at the trailer park on South Mountain Street. As the driver stopped and attempted to get out of his vehicle, Officer Cornelius approached the automobile and advised him to stay inside. He then requested backup from other officers. As Officer Cornelius spoke to the driver, Trimble, he noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he had slurred speech. Trimble was asked to step out of the vehicle. He was unsteady on his feet. Sergeant Joey Jones saw Trimble remove a hypodermic needle from his pocket and drop it on the ground. Bond for Trimble is $5,000 and his court date is January 20th.
32 year old Don Eugene Griffith Jr. of Murfreesboro was arrested on Sunday, December 26th by Officer Scott Davis for failure to appear in a Rutherford County court for domestic assault. Officer Davis became aware of the warrant against Griffith after investigating a burglary call on Gentry Avenue.
Meanwhile anyone having information on criminal activity is asked to please contact the Smithville Police Department at 597-8210 or the Tip Line at 464-6046.
Any information received that will help Smithville Police solve any criminal offense will be greatly appreciated. All information is confidential.

Winter weather is having a negative impact on the American Red Cross blood program.
Over the last couple of weeks, numerous blood drives were cancelled and those that did remain open experienced low donor turnout.
The winter months are a difficult time for blood collection. Snow and ice can cause blood drive cancellations; donors are more likely to suffer from colds and the flu, making them ineligible to give blood and people are busy with holiday planning and travel and either don’t have the time or forget to give blood.
“We face a difficult situation each year because donations typically drop during the holiday season. However, the need for blood is constant,” said Sean Armstrong, DeKalb County Blood Program Representative. “The Tennessee Valley Region needs 600 people to present to donate blood each day, no matter what the weather, to meet patient need at our 59 hospitals.”
You can help by donating blood at the Smithville Community Blood Drive on Tuesday, January 4th from noon to 6:00 p.m. at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church located at 201 South College Street in Smithville.
All presenting donors receive a specially designed Elvis themed rock & roll T-shirt, while supplies last. Plus, all presenting donors are eligible to enter the “Ultimate Elvis Sweepstakes.”
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Thank you for taking an hour out of your day to help save up to three lives.

Smithville Police have charged a 25 year old man with theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Chief Randy Caplinger said Joshua Lynn McCowan of Morgan Drive was arrested by Officer David Phillips on Sunday, December 19th. Earlier that day, Sergeant Randy King took a theft report. The victim stated that he had given McCowan a ride to his residence and as McCowan exited the vehicle he took with him a .22 caliber bolt action rifle, belonging to the victim. The man tried to stop McCowan from taking the gun but was unsuccessful. Officers then went to McCowan’s residence to interview him. He was asked to step outside with Officer Phillips as Sergeant King spoke with the other occupants. Upon stepping out on the stoop of the residence, Officer Phillips saw McCowan drop a syringe from his hand onto the concrete stoop. Police also recovered the gun. Bond for McCowan was $2,500 and his court date is February 27th.
In another case, 42 year old Kimberly Dawn Foster of McMinnville was issued a citation on Monday, December 20th for simple possession of a schedule III and IV controlled substance. Corporal Travis Bryant received a call of a suspicious vehicle at Mapco Express Upon investigation, Corporal Bryant made contact with Foster. Corporal Bryant confirmed that she was on parole. Foster consented to a search of her property. Found in her purse were schedule III and IV drugs. Her court date is January 6th.
Meanwhile while assisting Corporal Bryant at Mapco, Officer Scott Davis was given permission by the passenger of Foster’s vehicle, 31 year old Terra Nadean Rippe of McMinnville to search her property. Found in Ms. Rippe’s purse was a schedule III drug. Ms. Rippe was also cited into court on January 6th..
40 year old Terry Lee King Sr. of Bybee Woods Drive was arrested on Monday, December 20th for criminal impersonation. While investigating a suspicious vehicle Corporal Travis Bryant made contact with a man who identified himself as Lee Knowles. He also gave a date of birth. Upon further investigation Corporal Bryant learned that he was actually Terry King and that he attempted to conceal his identity due to an arrest warrant out of Warren County for failure to appear. Bond for King is $1,500 and his court date is January 6th.
Meanwhile anyone having information on any criminal activity is asked to please contact the Smithville Police Department at 597-8210 or the Tip Line at 464-6046.
Any information received that will help the Smithville Police solve any criminal offense will be greatly appreciated. All information is confidential.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has made an arrest in a recent burglary.
27 year old Matthew Malachi Lawson of Haley Road, Smithville is charged with sale of a schedule II controlled substance (dilaudid), aggravated burglary, and theft of property over $10,000. He is under a $70,000 bond and his court date is January 6th.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on December 8th, Lawson allegedly kicked open the back door of a residence on Antioch Road and took several items from the home including two jewelry boxes containing a gold waterfall ring, four leaf clover diamond pin, gold necklace with red, white, and blue charm and several other pieces of jewelry. All items were valued at over $10,000.
Meanwhile on July 7th, Lawson allegedly sold a schedule II drug (dilaudid) to a confidential source during an undercover drug operation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
In another case, 37 year old Christie Michelle Willoughby of South Chancery Street, McMinnville was issued a citation for failure to drive within her lane, simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance (xanax), violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance) and driving on a suspended license. Her court date is January 6th.
According to Sheriff Ray, Willoughby was stopped for failure to maintain her lane of travel on Highway 146 on Monday, December 20th. As the deputy walked up to the vehicle, Willoughby allegedly tried to swallow a pill and on the floorboard in plain sight, was a xanax (a schedule IV controlled substance). The officer searched Willoughby’s purse and found another xanax. A computer check revealed that her drivers license were suspended and she did not have insurance.
46 year old Claude Trimble also known as Hoss Roller is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was also issued a citation for failure to give immediate notice of an accident. He will be in court on January 20th.
Trimble is further charged with failure to appear in general sessions court in a separate case on September 20th. He will appear in court on this charge January 6th.
His bond totals $6,500.
Trimble also faces charges from the Smithville Police Department.
Sheriff Ray said that on Christmas Day, Trimble was involved in a traffic accident on Highway 56 south and left the scene. He was later stopped by Smithville Police. In the accident, Trimble’s vehicle struck a fence, tearing down the top strand of barbed wire. When stopped by police, Trimble admitted to hitting the fence and not stopping after the accident