Comment on Two critically injured in Church Hill crash

CHURCH HILL — Two people were critically injured Tuesday afternoon when a four-door Dodge Stratus reportedly pulled out onto Highway 11-W into the path of an oncoming truck. The crash occurred shortly before 1 p.m. at the busy Richmond Street intersection near First Community Bank and Pal’s. The passenger of the Stratus was flown from the scene via helicopter rescue, and the driver was transported by Hawkins County EMS. An eyewitness, Stacy Whitaker of Jefferson County, was at the intersection beside the Stratus when the accident occurred. Whitaker told the Times News at the scene he was waiting to turn west from Richmond Street onto 11-W, and the Dodge was attempting to cross the westbound traffic and turn east. The Stratus pulled out in front of the westbound box truck, resulting in a T-bone collision with the Dodge driver’s side door, Whitaker said. “I don’t know if they just didn’t see the truck, but they pulled right out in front of it,” Whitaker said.