A 97-year-old man was killed in front of his own house Sunday afternoon when he pulled into the path of a car traveling on Harrison Ferry Road.
William Fred Tittsworth died in the crash that happened Sunday at 1:45 p.m. as he was crossing Harrison Ferry Road (Highway 8) at Fairview Road in his 1999 Ford F150.
Wilma Henegar, 77, was driving a 2010 Mercury that hit Tittsworth when he pulled into her path. She was traveling toward the mountain. Henegar and her 14-year-old grandson were both transported to Saint Thomas River Park with non-critical injuries, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“He pulled right into her path and she didn’t have time to stop,” said trooper Kyle Herrin, who investigated the crash. “She hit him in the passenger side, sending his vehicle over a guardrail and down an embankment.”
Herrin noted both Henegar and her grandson were wearing seatbelts and that likely minimized their injuries.
The accident, which took place April 2, marks the seventh fatality on a Warren County roadway this year. Highway Patrol Sgt. Jimmy Jones says that number is high.
“We are really increasing enforcement and bringing in troopers from other counties to try and make a difference here,” said Jones. “Seven is an extremely high number and we haven’t even gotten to the summer and the warmer months yet.”
Trooper Herrin says many of the crashes have been the result of people simply not paying attention.
“Distracted driving is a bad problem,” said Herrin. “People here in Warren County don’t seem to be paying attention to the road.”
A head-on crash between a church bus and pickup resulted in 13 deaths last week in Texas. The pickup driver responsible for crossing the centerline reportedly admitted to texting and driving.