July 16, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
Two people lost their lives from a pickup truck crash on the Old Mill Hill Road Monday morning.
Dead is 56 year old Michael A. Murphy and 50 year old Angelia Sue Burke of Liberty. She is formerly of Crossville.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Murphy was driving a 1995 Dodge Dakota eastbound when he went off the right side of the road and over an embankment striking a tree. Burke, the passenger, was ejected out of the passenger window and died at the scene. Her body was found pinned between the passenger door and a tree. After the crash, Murphy apparently tried to go for help but collapsed in the road a tenth of a mile from the scene. Although an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, a preliminary report suggests that Murphy may have died from health conditions not related to the crash.
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, a motorcycle rider came upon Murphy’s body lying in the road and alerted 911.
Sheriff Patrick Ray responded along with other officers and detectives of the Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb EMS, the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Murphy was unresponsive at the scene and after efforts by EMS to resuscitate him failed, he was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
As Sheriff Ray and detectives conducted a search of the area, they found the wrecked Dodge Dakota and Burke’s body.
The crash was investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the THP Critical Incident Response Team