By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Misty Jane Jennings, 24, of Somerville, a mother of four, was apparently killed instantly Feb. 1 when the pickup truck she was driving and a loaded log truck collided on Highway 67 in Somerville.
The accident occurred in front of Somerville Grocery at approximately 9 p.m. as Jennings was crossing the northbound lane of the two-lane highway to make a left turn and head south, according to Somerville Police Chief Joe Mann. The truck was traveling north and had just passed under a flashing caution light where Main Street and Somerville Cutoff Road intersect with Highway 67 when the impact occurred. There were no passengers in either vehicle.
Responding to the accident quickly were members of the Somerville Area Voluntary Emergency Service (SAVES). When they reached the driver of the pickup they found no signs of life, Chief Mann said.
Morgan County Coroner Russ Beard pronounced Jennings dead at the scene at 9:45 p.m. He said she suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was not wearing a seat belt.
The Highway 67 Somerville intersection has a long history of being the scene of tragic accidents. However, repeated efforts by the town's elected officials and citizens to get the State Department of Transportation's approval for a traffic light have failed.