Fayetteville man dies in wreck

Rescuers from Volunteer Fire Services Inc. place inflatable devices under an SUV that had been driven by James Scott Fee, of Fayetteville, who died in the accident. (T-G Photo by David Melson) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

A Fayetteville man died when his sport utility vehicle plunged off State Highway 130 West's narrow shoulder and overturned into a deep ditch about a mile north of Pleasant Grove around 2:45 p.m. Monday.

James Scott Fee, 47, was apparently killed instantly when he was thrown out of the large, late-model Toyota Sequoia, which landed atop him, State Trooper Jackie Smith said.

"He was headed east (toward Shelbyville)," Smith said. "He just ran off the road and struck a tree, overturned and was ejected."

Rescue workers were forced to use inflatable devices to raise the SUV enough to remove Fee's body.

Skid marks and a line of destroyed mail and newspaper boxes indicated Fee traveled some distance after running off the right side of the road and striking the tree.

Highway 130's shoulders are unusually narrow on both sides, little more than the width of a tire, with deep embankments and ditches in many areas. Several persons have been killed over the years after running off the roadway and overturning.

"The whole road is like this -- get off just a little and you're done for," said Rob Rhodes, who lives across the highway from the accident site and heard the crash.

Smith said he was unable to determine whether Fee was wearing a seat beat.