The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing the SUV to roll, authorities said.Â
The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing it to roll, authorities said.
The crash occurred at about 3:22 p.m. Monday, August 24.
The Oak Ridge Police Department determined that a Toyota van, driven by Marguerite Windham of Knoxville, was traveling south on South Illinois Avenue and crossed into the northbound lanes of travel for unknown reasons, a City of Oak Ridge press release said.
Police said Windham’s van struck a Mazda SUV traveling northbound, which was occupied by Philip Cope (driver) and June Cope (passenger) of Knoxville.
A Ford Focus, driven by Puya Rahmanian of Oak Ridge, traveling northbound also struck Windham’s vehicle, which caused the Mazda to overturn in the northbound lanes, the press release said.
All motorists involved in the crash, which was near the Centrifuge Way interchange, were transported to area hospitals, the press release said. A Lifestar helicopter landed on South Illinois Avenue near the scene to transport one patient to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The release said June Cope was transported to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, where she later died. Both north and southbound lanes were closed for more than two hours while police investigated the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details are available for release at this time, the press release said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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