Sad road to travel

Weekend accidents result in fatality

Congested local roadways and other common driver distractions contributed to four accidents and one fatality over the weekend in Seymour, keeping local emergency agencies operating at a fevered pace.
“It is not unusual for us to have four or five accidents a day, but it is unusual to have four in a two-hour time span,” said Sgt. Von Cannon of the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department.
The first crash involved Travis Breeden, 34, who was killed at Chapman Highway and Community Park Drive when his 1998 Plymouth collided with a 1987 Toyota driven by James McCown of Circle Drive. McCown, 18, and his passenger, Angel Foster, were reportedly injured, but not severely hurt in the crash.
Tennessee Highway Patrol officials said the cause of the fatal accident is still under investigation. This was the 126th fatality on Tennessee’s roadways this year.
The second accident occurred on Highway 411 at 4:15 p.m. and according to Von Cannon, a car bound for Maryville crossed the centerline of the highway and struck two other oncoming vehicles approximately half a mile past 411 Dragway. Officials said the driver of the Maryville-bound car may have been eating while driving, causing her to cross the centerline.
The third accident, at Regan Springs Road and Chapman Highway, was a single car crash involving Sevier County resident Ricky Flynn. Flynn was cited by a Sevier County deputy for reckless driving.
Cori Hall was involved in the fourth accident, which occurred at 5:15 p.m. on Boyd’s Creek Road.
An eyewitness told a Herald reporter that the vehicle directly in front of him swerved into the oncoming lane after being pushed by another vehicle, and struck an onbound car head-on.