Update: One Fatality in Major Collision on Hwy 412 West Tuesday Evening
The eastbound lane was completely blocked on Highway 412 West, near Independence Loop, for a two vehicle collision.
Photo by W. Clay Crook / The Lexington Progress.
Article by W. Clay Crook- updated 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 3rd:
At 4:58 p.m. as dusk was approaching on Tuesday, January 2nd, first respondents, THP, and the HCSD responded to a two-vehicle collision on the eastbound lanes of Highway 412 West, near the intersection of Independence Loop. Involved was a 2002 Peterbilt tractor trailer rig driven by Michael Anthony Kenny, age 54, of Melborne, Arkansas. L. A. Weathers, age 67 of Lexington, was driving a 1989 burgundy GMC pickup, and was headed eastbound towards Lexington. His passenger was Charles Kizer, age 70 of Lexington.
According to the THP report, Weathers had begun to turn slowly right into a driveway, when he and Kizer were rear ended by the Peterbilt. After colliding, the vehicles smashed into the guard rail, and came to a stop with the tractor trailer in a jackknifed position, killing Kizer and injuring Weathers.
The speed limit along that portion of the highway is 65 miles per hour. Trooper Lucas Roberson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol is supervising the investigation of the accident. Neighbors in the area began to report over social media the near misses and accidents that had occurred along the stretch of Highway 412 West from the Madison County line to Lexington.
In May, 2017, local educator and coach, Jimmy Fesmire, was also rear ended and killed as he approached his driveway. Locals say that failure to pay attention to traffic and texting, along with excessive speeds, have been the cause of several mishaps, collisions, and near misses along the route. Traffic is very heavy in both the morning and the evening with commuter traffic.
Updates will be available on this site, and a later edition of The Lexington Progress.
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