Teen wrecks while going to pick up brother

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis McCormick, left, and Lt. Jody Cavanaugh examine the wreckage of the car driven by Justin Barnes which crashed on Old Rock Island Road Monday afternoon. (Duane Sherrill photo)

A local teen was critically injured Monday afternoon when his car crashed and overturned, ejecting him from the wreckage near Eastside School.

The victim, Justin Lynn Barnes, 18, was airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga by LifeForce helicopter shortly following the wreck, suffering severe leg injuries.

The accident happened on Old Rock Island Road around 2:30 p.m. as Barnes was on the way to pick up his younger brother from Eastside School. Barnes was traveling eastbound, toward the school, from nearby Sparta Highway when the accident occurred.

According to a preliminary investigation, Barnes reportedly fell asleep at the wheel near Eastside Market as he was entering a curve. The vehicle then crossed the oncoming lane of traffic, vaulted over a ditch and struck a dirt embankment nearly head-on.

The impact with the ditch caused the car to overturn and begin rolling, ejecting Barnes through the windshield during the roll. He was found in the road near his car which came to rest straddling the ditch.

Because Barnes was ejected, it is not believed he was wearing a seatbelt. The driver’s side airbag in his Dodge did deploy however.