Accidents Across Robertson County Spike Friday
STORY UPDATED (Driver charged)
ROBERTSON COUNTY TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – According to the THP, accident statistics during the pandemic in Tennessee surprisingly didn’t fall when compared to past years, however, in Robertson County we did get a short break from accidents.
On Friday that break seemed to be over. On Friday alone Robertson County had eight crashes with at least two of them serious.
According to Lt. Bill Miller with THP, fatal stats have gone up and down in recent weeks, comparing the year to date (YTD) fatalities to last year at this same time. In other words, fewer cars on the road with the pandemic didn’t automatically translate to fewer crashes. At one point the stats were identical from 2019 to 2020. As of Friday, the fatalities were lower. In 2019 YTD there was 416 traffic deaths in Tennessee. Now in 2020 YTD there are 392 traffic deaths. So far YTD 2020 we are at -24 fewer traffic deaths compared to 2019.
In the eight crashes in Robertson County on Friday, at least two serious crashes occurred on Hwy 76 and the third occurred on Tom Austin Hwy.
Around 4 pm a vehicle came out of a turn on Hwy 76, left the roadway, through a fence, and began to roll. The vehicle landed upside down in the middle of a field with an occupant trapped inside. The Greenbrier Fire Department with the assistance of Springfield Fire used the jaws of life to free the man from the vehicle. Somehow the occupant did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Later that afternoon on the same stretch of road two vehicles, one pulling a trailer, collided causing heavy damage to both vehicles, however, officials tell Smokey Barn News that no one in the crash sustained serious injuries and no one was transported from the scene.
The most serious crash occurred on Tom Austin Hwy around 9:45 pm. Two vehicles collided head-on leaving one of the drivers trapped inside her vehicle. Again, firefighters from the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department had to use hydraulic equipment to free the driver from the crumpled wreck. The driver was clearly in distress as first responders worked to free her. She was transported to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville in critical condition. At last, one other occupant from that same crash was also transported.
There’s no way of knowing what caused Friday’s spike in crashes but at least one official told Smokey Barn News that as we all begin the process of reinitiating our lives in the wake of COVID-19, it might be a good idea to consider giving yourself a little time to settle back onto a rhythm.
UPDATE: We have an update on the crash on Tom Austin HWY late Friday night. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Cornilius Dominic Matthews, 39, of Nashville driving a 2016 Buick Enclave, was arrested following the crash. He was transported to the Robertson County Detention Facility in Springfield and charged with- (Vehicular Assault, Reckless Endangerment w/ Deadly Weapon, DUI, Driving on a Suspended Licence, Implied Consent and Simple Possession Sch6. His bond has been set at $28,500. More information on the crash is available in the video report at the top of this story.
