Buck Vinson killed when milk truck loses control

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Former circuit court clerk Buck Vinson was killed and his daughter, Carol George, critically injured Friday morning when their pickup was struck by an out-of-control milk truck near the Warren-Cannon County line. (Duane Sherrill photo)

A head-on crash on Nashville Highway Friday morning claimed the life of former circuit court clerk Buck Vinson and left his daughter in grave condition when a milk truck overturned and crushed their pickup underneath its weight.

Vinson, 75, died hours following the accident which happened just over a mile from his home as he was taking his daughter, Carol George, 52, to work at the circuit court clerk’s office. She remained in critical condition at Vanderbilt at press time suffering from a long list of injuries including a torn aorta and other internal injuries as well as broken bones in her hips and legs.

The accident happened around 8 a.m. Friday west of Centertown about two miles from the Warren-Cannon County line. A Purity Dairy truck, driven by veteran trucker Joel Fitzgerald, 56, lost traction as he entered a slight curve on the rain-slick highway. Fitzgerald suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The truck slid across the eastbound lane of travel with its front end plunging down a steep embankment. The back end of the delivery truck whipped into the path of the oncoming Vinson 1993 Ford F-150 pickup which was heading toward McMinnville.

The collision between the Vinson vehicle and the exposed axle of the dairy truck caused the still-sliding delivery vehicle to flip and land on top of the pickup cab. Both victims were pinned inside.

The Vinson vehicle was also struck from behind at almost the same instant by a Toyota Camry driven by Mildred M. Vinson of Cannon County who was directly behind the Vinson truck. The woman suffered non-critical injuries.

Emergency workers were able to get the victims out of Vinson vehicle by using large logs to prop up the dairy truck so it would not continue rolling onto the pickup cab. Due to continued storms in the area, a nearby helicopter landing was not an option, although Med Evac and LifeFlight helicopters were able to fly the victims out when the storm cell moved past.

According to Highway Patrolman Chris Adams, who spent most of the day working the wreck scene along with other troopers, the slick road conditions, brought by a heavy storm front, is the likely culprit for the loss of control by the trucker. Adams noted the 1997 International milk truck was loaded with milk. No charges have been filed.