July 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
A 12 year old boy was airlifted from the scene of a two auto crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 56 (Cookeville Highway) near the old Cherry Hill Community Center building. The child was flown by a helicopter ambulance to Vanderbilt Hospital.
Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said the boy was a backseat passenger of a 2004 Chevy pickup truck, driven by his uncle 38 year old Abraham Andres of Cookeville. 41 year old Christopher Watson of Lebanon was also a passenger.
According to Trooper Delong, Andres was traveling north when his truck was hit by a southbound 2016 Nissan Sentra, driven by 38 year old Jeremy Burnsides of Cookeville who crossed the center line into the northbound lane while trying to negotiate a curve. Upon impact the truck overturned and flipped over a guardrail before coming to rest off the highway. The car spun around in the road and came to a stop facing south.
Watson was transported by EMS to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and DeKalb Fire Department were on the scene. Trooper T.J. Withers of the THP assisted Trooper Delong with the crash investigation.
Burnsides was charged with failure to exercise due care.