Three injured in two accidents

By Jessica Stith
of The Daily Times Staff

Two accidents within 15 minutes of each other Monday in Alcoa sent three people to University of Tennessee Medical Center -- leaving one of those accident victims in critical condition.

Jessi Sparks, 25, Martin Mill Pike, Rockford, was in critical condition Monday night at the hospital, according to UT Medical Center staff.

Alcoa Police Officer Mike Devore said officers responded to an accident at 5:55 p.m. on Russell Road off East Hunt Road. He said Sparks had lost control of her car while traveling southbound on the road.

Alcoa Police Sgt. Hank Morris said it appeared that Sparks' vehicle left the road and she overcorrected, which caused her to lose control of the car. Morris said Sparks apparently overcorrected her car again, causing it to slide off of the road and go airborne -- striking a utility pole.

Morris said Sparks was not wearing a seat belt, but her airbag did deploy. He said Alcoa firefighters, Rural/Metro Ambulance Service emergency personnel and members of the Blount County Volunteer Rescue Squad extricated her from the vehicle.

Just minutes earlier, Alcoa Police Officer Chris Morgan said officers responded to the report of a wreck at 5:43 p.m. on Alcoa Highway where a van had rolled over.

According to Morgan, Ronald Lee Hollifield, 51, Jacksboro, was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck and was trying to turn left into the northbound lanes of Alcoa Highway from Airbase Road.

When he turned, Morgan said Hollifield "clipped" the front of a van traveling southbound on the highway. He said the impact caused the driver of the van, George Marshall, 41, Lafollette, to lose control of his vehicle.

"Once the (driver of the) van lost control, it rolled over," Morgan said.

Morgan said Alcoa firefighters and Rural/Metro Ambulance Service emergency personnel removed George Marshall and his passenger, Anita Marshall, 46, Lafollette, from the van. They were both taken to UT Medical Center Monday evening where Anita Marshall was being treated and expected to be released and George Marshall was being admitted in stable condition.

Hollifield was cited with failure to yield, Morgan said.

"Everybody was wearing their seat belts, and that's probably what saved their (the Marshalls) lives," Morgan said.