Rock Island wreck injures local man, 60

A local man was critically injured in a pre-dawn crash Wednesday morning when he turned in front of an oncoming van on the four-lane near Rock Island.

The victim, Gerald Rowland, 60, was airlifted from the scene by LifeForce helicopter and remains under treatment at Erlanger Medical Center with leg and internal injuries.

According to Highway Patrolman Ronnie Simmons, the accident happened at 5:39 a.m. Wednesday on Highway 70 at its intersection with Rock Island Road.

A preliminary investigation revealed Rowland was eastbound on Highway 70, heading away from McMinnville, in his 2003 Ford Taurus when he attempted to make a left turn onto Rock Island Road. However, in making his turn, he entered the path of the westbound Toyota van driven by Kenneth Peters, 36, of Sparta who was on his way to work.

The van impacted the Taurus in the passenger-side as Peters was unable to avoid striking the car which had turned into his path. Peters was uninjured.