Madewell succumbs to accident injuries
The FedEx driver who fell from his moving delivery truck on Highway 70 Friday, succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.
The victim, Joseph Bradley (Brad) Madewell, 27, was airlifted to the facility by LifeForce helicopter shortly after the Friday afternoon accident. He suffered massive head injuries during his fall from the moving truck. According to family members, Madewell was placed on life support when his condition worsened Friday evening and a decision was made by the family to turn off the external system Saturday when it was learned the victim was brain dead.
The fatal injuries occurred when Madewell fell from the passenger side of his delivery truck. Investigators believe Madewell was reaching for something on the passenger side of the vehicle when he lost his balance and fell across the driver’s compartment and out the open passenger-side door. He was not wearing a seatbelt. He struck his head sharply on the asphalt causing the fatal injuries.
Madewell’s truck continued 711 feet across the median, across oncoming lanes of traffic and up a steep embankment before coming to rest against a fence. Investigators say they will never know exactly what caused the fatal accident since the only witnesses were other motorists who saw the victim fall onto the highway.
Madewell was a resident of Cookeville and a contract driver for FedEx. He is survived by a wife and daughter. His obituary information revealed he was an enthusiastic motorcyclist and was a former baseball player at Cookeville High School. Services were held Tuesday at Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home in Cookeville.