Two Injured In Friday Afternoon Crash

A 66 year old woman was seriously injured in a three vehicle traffic accident Friday afternoon on South Congress Boulevard in front of Jewel’s Market.
Darlene Summers of Midway Road, Smithville was airlifted from the scene by a Life Force helicopter ambulance and flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
Another woman, 27 year old Tanya A. Wood of Joe Tittsworth Road, Smithville was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was treated and released.
Thomas J. Stufano, Executive Officer for the Smithville Police Department, in a prepared news release, states that ” At approximately 3:39 p.m., officers from the Smithville Police and Fire Departments and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office responded to a three vehicle auto accident in the 1200 block of South Congress Boulevard (State Highway 56). Upon arrival, officers found that two vehicles had collided causing major damage with one vehicle then leaving the roadway and striking a third parked vehicle.”
“A followup investigation revealed that Summers was traveling north on Highway 56 in her 1994 Ford car, attempting to turn left into the parking lot of Dogwood Plaza, when she collided with Wood, who was driving a 1997 Mercury car southbound. Due to the severe impact, Wood’s vehicle left the roadway, going down a drainage embankment, crashing through a sign, and then colliding with a parked 1990 Chevy truck, owned by 56 Mini Storage.”
“Ms. Summers had received life threatening injuries but was immediately attended to by Nurse/EMT Gretchen E. Jones of McMinnville who had been driving northbound on State Highway 56 just after the accident occurred. Due to the extent of Ms. Summers serious injuries, she was flown by helicopter to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga and is listed in serious condition. Ms. Wood was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital and was treated and released.”
“Traffic was stopped in both directions for approximately 45 minutes so that emergency personnel could attend to the accident scene.”
“The case is still pending investigation by Sergeant Steven Leffew of the Smithville Police Department.”