February 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
It has happened again.
For the second time within the last five days swift creek waters have swept a vehicle off Odom Page Road (Preston-Vickers Road) at Liberty. It happened in the exact same place Sunday afternoon where an Amazon commercial van was washed off the road last Tuesday.
This time five people, including a 16 month old child, were trapped in their truck until help arrived.
(Video shown here and photographs provided as a courtesy of the DeKalb County Fire Department)
According to Trooper Brent Collier of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 29 year old James Sellars of Hendersonville, who later told authorities he and his passengers were out on a Sunday sightseeing trip, was traveling south on the Odom Page Road (Preston-Vickers Road) in a 2014 Dodge 1500 Ram pickup truck when he tried unsuccessfully to cross where the road was submerged in swift water. The truck was swept into the creek with Sellars and his passengers inside including 29 year old Stormy Creasy of Hendersonville, 61 year old Charles Patrick of Smithville, and 63 year old Margaret Humphrey of Smithville, along with the 16 month old boy.
“All five occupants, including the child were safely rescued with the help of swift water rescue teams from Lebanon Fire and Rescue/Wilson County Emergency Management, the Putnam County Rescue Squad, Smith County Rescue Squad, DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (bucket truck), and Caney Fork Electric Cooperative (bucket truck). Multiple agencies and partners with specialized training and equipment made this a successful rescue,” said DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green.
“We send a huge thank you to all responding agencies and partners. Others assisting on the scene were the DeKalb County Fire Department, DeKalb County Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department , Tennessee Highway Patrol including a helicopter which hovered overhead in case of an airlift, the DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and Randy Mulloy (truck crane),” added Chief Green.
No one was injured but Sellars was charged with driving on a suspended license.
Last Tuesday, February 23 the driver of a 2019 Ford Amazon commercial transport van escaped injury as his vehicle was nearly carried away by swift creek waters on Odom Page Road (Preston-Vickers Road) at Liberty.
According to Trooper Jonathan Burke of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 25 year old Clarence J. Stewart of Lebanon was traveling south on Odom Page Road (Preston-Vickers Road) attempting to cross the road that was submerged in swift moving water when he was swept off the road to the left and came to a final rest in the stream just off the roadway.
In addition to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Engine 65 of the DeKalb County Fire Department Liberty Station, County Rescue, EMS, and Sheriff’s Department helped provide for a quick and safe rescue without injury.