Columbia Police responded to yet another fatality collision on the Veterans Memorial Bypass . The accident claims the lives of two Adair County residents with another Adair resident in critical condition at the University of Kentucky Trauma Center.
At 12:32 p.m. Saturday, Columbia Police Department and Adair County EMS were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of KY 61 south and Veterans Memorial Bypass.
Preliminary investigation indicates David Jackson, 43, of London, was traveling with passengers 42-year-old Anne Jackson and 20-month-old Davanna Jackson all from London. Jackson was traveling east on the bypass in a 2008 GMC Arcadia SUV when he failed to stop at the traffic control device regulating traffic at the intersection.
Frona Murrell, 40 ,of Columbia was traveling south on KY 61 in a 2000 Nissan Altima car along with her passengers, Tanya Lewis, 41, and Gregory Norris, 28, also of Columbia. Police say Murrell had the right of way according to witness statements that her light was green and was proceeding thru the intersection.
The 2008 Arcadia operated by Jackson struck the 2000 Altima operated by Murrell broadside in the passenger side of the vehicle.
Gregory Norris, the rear passenger in the Altima, was not belted and was immediately ejected from the vehicle. Tanya Lewis, the front passenger of Altima who was also not belted, had to be extricated by the Columbia-Adair County Fire Department by mechanical means. Both Gregory Norris and Tanya Lewis were pronounced deceased by the Adair County Coroner Todd Akin at the scene.
Murrell, who was operating the vehicle, was air lifted to the University of Kentucky Hospital with life threatening injuries and is currently in critical condition.
Jackson and his 2 passengers were all wearing seatbelts and were treated and released from Westlake Regional hospital.
CPD Ofc. Charles Greer is investigating the collision and was assisted by additional officers of the department. Agencies responding were the Adair County EMS, Columbia – Adair County Fire Department, Adair County Sheriff’s Department, Adair County Search and Rescue, Constables Jason Rector and Joe Collins. and KSP.
As of 6 p.m. Frona Murrell was still in surgery per a phone conversation with her mother, and still in very critical condition.
