Two single vehicle accidents in southern Coffee County on Saturday afternoon kept emergency crews busy.
A wreck on I-24 near mile marker 125 occurred around 4:41 PM and backed up interstate traffic for as much as 8 miles. Zhameca Hall of Nashville was driving a Ford Econoline van eastbound on I-24 with 10 passengers aboard when the vehicle had a blow out on the left rear tire of the van. The van left the roadway turning over on its side, before coming to res4t on all 4 wheels. Amazingly, the vehicle never flipped over. The van contained 7 minors, ages 1 to 1 years of age. The group was reported to be members of a Nashville dance team. Five medical choppers were dispatched to the scene to transport some of the injured to Vanderbilt and Erlanger. 5 passengers were transported to Manchester Medical Center and all passengers were listed as being in stable condition on Sunday. The accident scene was worked by members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Manchester Fire & Rescue, Coffee County Sher

iff’s Department, Coffee County EMS, Coffee County Emergency Management Agency, Grundy County EMS and AEDC Fire & Rescue
The second accident occurred around 6:30 PM on State Highway 127 about 6 miles north of Hwy 41. According to witnesses, the driver, who was said to be traveling below the speed limit, failed to successfully negotiate a left hand curve while traveling northbound on the Hillsboro/Viola Road near Henry Cove Road. The black Volkswagen crossed the southbound lane of the roadway and ending up on its side in the ditch. The Volkswagen had 4 occupants of which 3 were removed from the scene via medical choppers. The accident is still under investigation.

The week long search for a Manchester woman came to a happy ending on Sunday. Elizabeth Brook Roberts was located and is safe in Colorado according to Roberts’ mother. Roberts, who was last seen Monday at the Harper’s Point Apartments in Murfreesboro where she worked as a leasing agent was said to have been “dropped off” in Colorado. Roberts, who was left without identification, is expected to be returned to her Manchester home no later than Monday night. Coffee County Sheriff Stave Graves confirmed that the case is now listed as closed.

A serious motorcycle accident occurred on Highway 231 South In Rutherford County, south of Murfreesboro on Saturday afternoon around 1:30. Two motorcycle riders, riding next to each other; crashed near the Midland Fosterville Road intersection. Tullahoma residents Kenny D. Taylor and Kerry L. Whittaker were on separate Harley Davidson motorcycles heading towards Shelbyville via 231 South when 82-year old Roy Beasley from Brentwood pulled into their lane. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Lincoln that was being driven by Beasley, was traveling at a slow rate of speed in the right lane of travel when he merged into Taylor who was in the left lane. The report shows that Taylor was knocked into Whittaker. Taylor was flown in a Life Flight Helicopter to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville were he is now listed in critical condition at last report. Whittaker was taken to St. Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro. His condition was not released. The driver of the Lincoln was however cited for an improper lane change.
Thanks to our news partner WGNS for their help with this story.

Coffee County deputies and rangers from Old Stone Fort State Park conducted a search warrant Wednesday night and recovered items taken from the park. According to a report by sheriff’s Investigator Kerry Farrar, the search warrant was served at a residence located on Big Falls Circle in Manchester. There, officers located and recovered two cameras (one is an antique), a laptop and a set of keys taken from the park. Also recovered was a car stereo and amplifier that were taken from a car parked at Old Stone Fort. Juvenile petitions were obtained for a teenager at the address; his name cannot be released due to his age. Investigator Farrar is continuing to investigate the burglaries.

More than 3,000 registered voters of Coffee County have cast ballots during the first week of early voting in advance of the August 7th election. Early voting continues thru this Saturday, August 2nd. Voters may cast ballots at 2 locations, the Election Commission office in the Coffee County Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street. That office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM during the week and 8:30 AM to Noon on Saturday. Voters can also cast their ballot in Tullahoma at the C. D. Stamps Center located at 810 South Jackson Street. That location is open from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM during the week and 9:00 AM to Noon on Saturday.

It’s Election Season in Coffee County and at Thunder Radio we wanted to know the goals that you hope to see accomplished by our future elected leaders in the years to come. So we went out into the community at last week’s Political Forum held at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center to discover voter opinion. We asked questions such as “How do feel about the current Budget, and how do you propose this should be addressed?” “How do you feel about the wheel tax?” “Did you know the CCAP Building is going to require roof repair in the near future which may cost over a million dollars, how should this be handled?” We also asked what you thought was “the most important issue facing our future leaders?” To the last question, common responses included the Budget, the Drug Problem in Coffee County, and Increased Taxes. See answers to all of the questions above from local voters just like you during the all new Thunder TV News online at WMSRradio.com.