Woman lucky to survive as car plunges into dense brush

Friday, September 11, 2009
By David Melson

Todd Carter of Bedford County Fire Department fills out a report on an accident involving Debbie Hendrix of Shelbyville while looking down the embankment near U.S. 41-A South off which her car plunged Thursday.
(T-G Photo by David Melson) [Order this photo]

Fortune was on the side of a Shelbyville woman whose car plunged off U.S. 41-A near Davis Hill and down an embankment Thursday morning.

Ironically, the accident occurred as the driver was attempting to refasten her seat belt, State Trooper Chad McAnally said.

Debbie Hendrix, 44, Warners Bridge Road, was northbound about 11:30 a.m. about a half-mile south of the former site of Davis Hill Market when she attempted to retrieve an item on her car's front seat, McAnally said.

The action caused Hendrix's seat belt to loosen, McAnally said.

Hendrix lost control of the car while struggling with the seat belt, the trooper said, and ran off the right side of the road.

The car ran approximately 30 feet down a steep embankment before becoming lodged against several large trees.

Several witnesses saw the car run off the road and notified authorities.

"She's lucky someone saw her," McAnally said. "She wouldn't have been able to get back up that hill (on foot)."

The car was nearly hidden from view under thick trees and underbrush. Rescue workers expressed concern about the car possibly moving while rescue efforts were underway.

Hendrix was treated for chest pain at Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma, McAnally said.

Comments

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It is amazing (or shocking may be the word) how many wrecks of this nature happen -- off down an embankment into woods and/or ravine, and could have possibly gone unnoticed. Luckily someone saw this one happen. The new guards on 4l-A North were certainly needed, and will hopefully be the cure of some terrible accidents in the future.

-- Posted by countrygal2008 on Fri, Sep 11, 2009, at 1:49 PM

Those new guards are really good, but sometimes railguards can't help everything. People really need to watch what they are doing when driving. It could have been much worse if her car went into the other lane of traffic.

-- Posted by horseLVR on Fri, Sep 11, 2009, at 4:19 PM

count her blessings

-- Posted by saywhat? on Sat, Sep 12, 2009, at 11:34 AM

That Chad McAnally is fine.

-- Posted by two cents worth on Mon, Sep 14, 2009, at 4:49 PM