State police are trying to figure out how a two-truck collision at a rural crossroads left three people dead while one driver walked away without an injury. The fatal crash happened Sunday afternoon in Buchanan where Highway 79 North intersects with Bull Durham Road.
Terry M. Roberts, 26, was driving a 2015 Ram 1500 through the intersection around 3:35 p.m. State troopers say Roberts was wearing his seat belt and escaped unharmed when his pickup struck another Ram truck carrying four people.
The second truck, a 2019 Ram 1500, was driven by 69-year-old Stephen R. Parker. Riding with him were 64-year-old Susan J. Parker, an 11-year-old child, and a 10-year-old child. The impact crumpled the body of the 2019 truck and brought traffic on the highway to a dead stop.
Stephen Parker, Susan Parker, and the 11-year-old child died at the scene from the force of the collision. The fact that three occupants in one truck died while the driver of the other walked away unharmed has made the crash investigation a top priority for state police.
The sole survivor from the Parker truck was a 10-year-old child. Emergency medical crews treated the young passenger at the scene before transport to a hospital. State troopers have withheld details regarding the survivor’s exact injuries or seat location inside the truck.
Tennessee Highway Patrol officers secured the crash site for several hours on Sunday. Crash reconstruction teams photographed both vehicles, checked seat belt usage, and reviewed the road surface to map out how the trucks hit each other.
Early findings show that seat belt usage saved Roberts from injury. Investigators are now looking into whether vehicle speed or a failure to yield at the intersection played a role in the crash.
Drivers familiar with Highway 79 North in Buchanan say traffic moves quickly along that stretch. Pulling out from Bull Durham Road requires careful timing, especially during peak afternoon hours.
State troopers expect to take several weeks to wrap up the investigation. Officers will release their full findings once physical evidence from both vehicles and the roadway is fully analyzed.
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INCIDENT DETAILS & LOCATION SUMMARY
Names Involved:
– Stephen R. Parker (Age 69 – Deceased)
– Susan J. Parker (Age 64 – Deceased)
– Unnamed 11-year-old child (Deceased)
– Unnamed 10-year-old child (Injured survivor)
– Terry M. Roberts (Age 26 – Driver of second vehicle, Uninjured)
Incident Location:
– Intersection of Highway 79 North and Bull Durham Road, Buchanan, Henry County, Tennessee
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