Woman badly hurt in crash

By BRAD DICKERSON
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW July 23, 2008 03:05 pm

— A Tuesday afternoon accident in Bon Ayr has left a Smiths Grove woman hospitalized in serious condition and an area business with significant damage.
The accident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. when Barbara Healy, 68, of Smiths Grove, attempted to turn right off Rocky Hill Road (Ky. 255) and onto New Bowling Green Road (U.S. 68 / Ky. 80). She pulled her 1998 Ford passenger car into the path of Anthony Cummings, 34, of Glasgow, who was driving a 2004 Ford pickup, according to the Barren County Sheriff’s Department.
Cummings’ truck struck Healy’s car and sent it into a nearby ditch. He said he tried to stop, but couldn’t because of wet road conditions and struck the store.
Emergency responders worked to extract Healy from the car after the accident. She was flown by Life Net to UofL Hospital, where she was listed in serious condition this morning.
Cummings was taken by ambulance to T.J. Samson Community Hospital for treatment and was later released. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash; Healy was not.
No one inside the store was injured as the truck came barreling through.
Dorothy Parker said the sound was “just like a big explosion.”
An employee at The Bon Ayr Store, she was busy filling the mayonnaise and ketchup containers when the truck crashed through the front of the building.
“Debris was flying everywhere,” Parker said. “I just hit the floor and started praying.”
Parker thought the destruction was caused by either a tornado or one of the gas pumps exploding.
“I never heard such a racket in my life,” said patron Robert Perkins, who thought there was an explosion until he saw the vehicle.
A destructive boom was what Junior Furlong, who was in the back of the store, thought he heard as well.
Deputy J.D. Walden investigated and was assisted by the South Barren Volunteer Fire Department and the Barren-Metcalfe County EMS.
Barren County roadways seemed especially hazardous Tuesday, as there were several other accidents as well.
A single-vehicle accident on Matthews Mill Road left two motorists with minor injuries.
Alexandra Wells, 16, of Glasgow, was driving a 2001 Ford Explorer truck when she lost control and overturned in a corn field, according to the sheriff’s department.
Wells swerved to the left to avoid a pedestrian and lost control of the vehicle, authorities said.
Both Wells and a passenger, Page Houchens, 17, of Peters Creek Road, were transported to T.J. Samson Community Hospital for minor injuries. They were treated and released.
Deputy Kevin Wilson investigated and was assisted by the Barren-Metcalfe County EMS and the Haywood Volunteer Fire Department.
Another accident occurred on New Bowling Green Road at the intersection of Park City-Glasgow Road, when the brakes failed on a 1997 Dodge Neon, driven by Michelle Gentry, 28, of Glasgow.
The car, traveling southbound on Park City-Glasgow Road, went through the intersection and struck a 2002 GMC pickup driven by Daniel Barrick, 56, of Smiths Grove, the sheriff’s department said.
Gentry was taken to T.J. Samson by private means. She was treated and released. Barrick was not injured.
Deputy Kevin Wilson investigated and was assisted by Barren-Metcalfe County EMS, and the South Barren and Park City volunteer fire departments.
At 2 p.m., emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle accident on Edmonton Road. Sammy J. Parnell, 49, of Hardyville, was stopped in traffic in his 2000 Ford Ranger when his vehicle was struck from behind by a 2005 Hyundai Sonata driven by Emily G. Perkins, 34, of Edmonton, according to the sheriff’s department.
Both individuals were taken to T.J. Samson for neck and back injuries. They were treated and released.
Deputy Steve Runyon investigated and was assisted by the East Barren Volunteer Fire Department.
A two-vehicle crash Tuesday night in Hiseville sent seven people to the hospital.
Tait Thomas, 17, of Burkesville, was northbound on Jack Smith Road when he crossed into the southbound path of a 2004 Chevy, driven by George Waldridge, 38, of Cave City.
According to the Kentucky State Police, after the collision Thomas’ car skidded off the roadway, hit a stump and overturned.
Thomas, along with passengers James Riley, 17, and Colton Barns, 16, both of Burkesville, and Laurn Garman, 16, Shelby Greer, 16, and Tamra Vincent, 16, all of Glasgow, were transported to T.J. Samson Community Hospital, where they were treated and released.
Waldridge was also taken to T.J. Samson, where he, too, was treated and released. All were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
KSP Trooper Lonnie Hodges investigated and was assisted by the Hiseville Fire Department and the Barren-Metcalfe County EMS.

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