Tallulah – A 3-car accident Friday morning resulted in one patient being airlifted to UT Medical Center in Knoxville.
According to the accident report filed by highway patrolman Kosal Thach, the incident occurred around 9:53 a.m. A 2000 Jeep being driven by 17-year-old Whelan Sellers reduced his speed near the entrance to Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center (formerly Tallulah Health Clinic) on U.S. Highway 129 North, as a vehicle in front of Sellers was set to turn right into the facility’s parking lot.
Behind Sellers was a 1996 Dodge truck, operated by 30-year-old Thomas Allen Jerome, Jr. Jerome failed to reduce his speed and struck the Jeep in the rear. Traveling behind the accident, a 2009 Toyota truck being driven by 22-year-old Hazel Schell was unable to avoid a full-on collision and ultimately struck the Jeep as well.
Neither Sellers nor Schell were injured, but Jerome was taken by helicopter to Knoxville for treatment. His condition was unknown at The Graham Star’s Wednesday press deadline.
Upcoming court calendars indicate that Jerome has three scheduled appearances in two counties before the end of 2024. He will appear in Graham County District Court on Friday, Aug. 30, after being cited in an unrelated incident for operating a motor vehicle without a license; visit Swain County District Court on Friday, Sept. 13 on a citation for driving while license revoked, not impaired; and return back to Graham County District Court on Monday, Oct. 21 in connection with Friday’s accident.
Following the collision, Jerome was cited for driving while license revoked, not impaired; driving a motor vehicle with no registration; operating a motor vehicle with no insurance; and failure to reduce speed. The report also noted that the 1996 Dodge truck was registered to a Christina Lynn Mote of Morganton, Ga.
All three involved in the accident are residents of Graham County.