Five people were involved in a two vehicle traffic accident around 2:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon on Highway 70 east just west of Sligo Bridge. Two of them were seriously injured.
Sergeant Billy Prater of the Tennessee Highway Patrol says 27 year old Bill D. Cannon of Little Brook Road, Cookeville was east on Highway 70 in a 2003 Dodge Neon when he crossed into the westbound lane while negotiating a curve and struck head-on a westbound 1998 Olds Bravada, driven by 49 year old Marvin T. Waggoner of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville.
Cannon and a passenger of his car, 22 year old Janelle Frazier of Luna Road, Sparta were seriously injured and airlifted from near the scene by a Life Force helicopter ambulance and flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Frazier’s brother, 14 year old Chris Frazier, also of Luna Road Sparta, was slightly injured and taken by a private vehicle to DeKalb Hospital. He was also a passenger of Cannon’s car.
Waggoner and a passenger of his vehicle, 49 year old Charlotte Henry of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville, were slightly injured and taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Hospital.
Sergeant Prater says the accident remains under investigation and there could be charges in the case.
In addition to Sergeant Prater, DeKalb EMS, and the Life Force Helicopter ambulance, others on the scene providing assistance were members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, who provided extrication to get Cannon out of his vehicle; officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department; and members of the Johnson’s Chapel and Midway Stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department.
Traffic was backed up for a while during the crash investigation.
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