Three killed in Baker Highway wreck Monday

October 19, 2006

By BEN GARRETT
INDEPENDENT HERALD EDITOR

HUNTSVILLE — A pair of tragic accidents on Baker Highway near here over the span of four days have claimed the lives of four people and left three hospitalized with serious injuries at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

The crashes were among a series of accidents that resulted in numerous injuries during a four-day period from Friday through Monday.

At approximately 10:10 a.m. Monday morning, a two-vehicle collision just east of the Jeffers Road-Baker Highway intersection on Huntsville’s east end, claimed the lives of two adults and an infant, and left a three-year-old child seriously injured.

According to information released by Trooper Rodney Evans of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Mark Lloyd, age 44, of Pioneer, and Elizabeth G. Eads, age 51, of Oneida, both died instantly when their vehicles collided head-on. Samantha Harness, a seven-week-old infant, died Tuesday morning at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville from injuries sustained in the accident.

Lloyd, who served as a jailor at the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, was believed to have been traveling west on Baker Highway when his 1997 Kia Sportage SUV collided with Eads’ 1995 Mazda, believed to be traveling east when the accident occurred.

Lloyd’s vehicle came to rest on the west-bound shoulder of the highway, facing north, while Eads’ vehicle came to rest on the east-bound shoulder, facing west.

The first rescue worker on the scene was Sheriff’s Department Deputy Troy Hull, followed closely by two units from Scott County EMS. Paramedics quickly removed the infant and a three-year-old child from Eads’ vehicle. Within minutes of the accident, they had been transported by EMS to Fairview School’s football field. From there they were transported by Lifestar helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Samantha Harness died Tuesday morning. She was the daughter of Leamon and Patty Harness of Oneida. The three-year-old child was listed in critical but stable condition Tuesday morning. Both were grandchildren of Ms. Eads.

Both lanes of Baker Highway were closed, and the area cleared of curious onlookers, for approximately two and a half hours as the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted its investigation and the victims were extricated from their vehicles by Scott County Rescue Squad personnel. Traffic was rerouted onto Jeffers Road and Highway 456.

Trooper Evans was assisted in his investigation by THP Sgt. Ron McDonald. In addition to Deputy Hull, also responding to the scene from the Sheriff’s Department were Sheriff Anthony Lay, Chief Deputy Bobby Ellis and Detective Don Laxton. Also responding were two units from the Huntsville Fire Department and two units from the Scott County Rescue Squad.

Funeral arrangements for Mr. Lloyd, Ms. Eads and Samantha Harness were incomplete as of the Independent Herald’s Tuesday afternoon press deadline.

The accident occurred just over 72 hours after another fatal accident, which claimed the life of a Helenwood man, several miles west, in the Fairview community, on Friday morning.

The two fatal crashes on Baker Highway were among several accidents resulting in injuries during the four-day period. In a 24-hour period from midnight Friday morning until midnight Saturday morning, sheriff’s department personnel responded to five accidents involving injury to the driver or occupants throughout the county, including the Baker Highway, Fairview, accident. Accidents on Cherry Fork Road in Helenwood, Paint Rock Road in Oneida, Highway 297 in the Coopertown community, and U.S. Highway 27 in the New River community all resulted in injury to vehicle occupants Friday.

On Monday morning, sheriff’s department personnel responded to an accident on Al Martin Road in the Black Creek-Crossroads community near Robbins. The Scott County Rescue Squad was also dispatched to that accident, but their assistance was not needed.

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