Police: Reconstructing fatal crash may take days
JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson police reconstruction crews worked through the night Thursday trying to figure out how a fatal accident on Vann Drive happened. Investigators say it may take some time to figure out if speed was a factor. Vann Drive buzzes with cars day and night, and drivers said Thursday night’s horrible accident is a reminder of how dangerous busy roads can be. “Mainly just coming out — coming out of this area is a little tough,” driver Tim Frazier said. Hundreds of cars travel the busy thoroughfare daily. “I don’t see people actually being careful about what they do out here,” Hayden Jacks who walks Vann Drive said. “They’re just trying to speed and get to where they’re going.” But Jackson police say although hundreds drive it every day, it’s not a trouble spot. “We have written a few speeding tickets in the area but not a gross amount,” Lt. Ronald Adams with the Jackson Police Department said. “We have not had really any issues with a high number of crashes in that area either.” Thursday night, officers say a husband and wife were killed when their car was T-boned pulling onto Vann Drive from a movie theater. “They have children that no longer have parents,” Adams said. “We have a young lady who is 18 years old who will have to carry the weight of this on her back for the rest of her life.” Officers say the traffic on Vann Drive was much lighter when the crash happened and that they currently are trying to figure out the cause. “We should be able to determine virtually the exact speed of the vehicle in the crash,” Adams said. “Until that is done, there’s no way to know if charges are warranted or not.” Adams says a full reconstruction of the accident could take days. “You only have one known speed, and that is of course zero — where the vehicles came to rest — so we have to work it backwards,” Adams said. As cars busily drive past the spray paint that still marks the scene, those who travel Vann Drive said it’s a speeder’s paradise. “They go maybe 10, maybe 15 or even 20 mph over the speed limit,” Jacks said. “I mean, if they dropped it down to 35 it would be easier for all of us.” Jackson police said they don’t believe any environmental factors such as obstructed views or poor road conditions contributed to the crash. The 18-year-old driving the car that hit the couple also was injured in the crash but is expected to recover. Officers said it may take some time to determine if she may face any charges.
