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 Dyer County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Petrie Jr.'s patrol car video camera captured the crash as it occurred at the intersection of Wade Hampton and the U.S. Highway 51 Bypass at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The truck driven by Francisco Torres of Newbern, at left, is spun around as the Heathcott car, tail lights visible in center, skids across the intersection into a light pole and the curb of the Autozone store. |
Jerry L. Heathcott, 65, and Rhonda Heathcott, 50, 200 Quail Hollow Cove, were transported to The Regional Medical Center in Memphis with serious injuries suffered when their 2008 Infiniti M35 was hit by a 1999 Ford F150 driven by Fransisco Javier Torres-Lopez, 33, 405 Garfield St., Newbern at about 10:36 p.m.
Torres-Lopez is in the Dyer County Jail on charges of vehicular assault and DUI (second offense). He also was cited for having no drivers license and failure to comply with the state's financial responsibility law.
 Torres-Lopez |
The Heathcott vehicle was in the left turning lane and turning south onto the bypass when the collision occurred.
The truck crossed the intersection at about 55-60 mph, said witnesses, when it slammed into the drivers-side door of the Infiniti. The force of the impact skidded the car across two lanes of traffic and into a utility pole on Flowering Dogwood Lane and the Autozone parking lot.
Jerry Heathcott was driving, and was on the side where the impact occurred. Emergency personnel had to cut away the door to get to him.
He and his wife were wearing seat belts, said the report.
Coincidentally, Dyer County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Petrie Junior was on his way to another call and had pulled alongside the Heathcott car at the intersection. The collision itself is not captured on the video, as the Heathcott car moved left, out of the camera view, when it crossed into the intersection to go south. The video shows the split-second after the crash, when the pickup truck spins into the middle of the intersection after ramming the Heathcott car. A trail of debris is in the intersection.
The video shows Petrie running to the Heathcott car, then to the truck, to check for injuries. One good Samaritan, who was driving a white sedan that had stopped at the intersection in front of Autozone, also assisted.
According to the police report on the crash, which was written by DPD officer Mike McCullough, Torres-Lopez said he had drank "six beers and did not remember running the red light and hitting the car."
Torres-Lopez also had no drivers license on his person.
Torres-Lopez and a passenger in the truck, Rudy M. Quintana, 36, 1503 Hardwood Rd., Nashville, were transported to Dyersburg Regional Medical Center, where they were treated and released.
Torres-Lopez gave police consent for a blood test to check his alcohol consumption.
According to the Dyer County Sheriff's Department report, Torres-Lopez was arrested for DUI for the first time locally in August 2003 after his truck was stopped on Highway 412. A passenger was passed out and charged with public intoxication.
Torres-Lopez refused to make available a blood sample and was charged also for violating the implied consent law.
read my 1st. post. I pray for all involved, the innocent who were injured, and for the guilty to change thir lives around before they do any more damage. but , someone, talk2t53, seems to think the legal status of the Drunk Driver matters. Not in this situation.
faith hope love, when did this become about you?
Its time to get drunk drivers off the street! Our loved ones are been injured or killed everyday! If a drunk driver injured one of my famiy members it would be hell to pay- I would stop at nothing to put them behind bars! God be with the Heathcotts- they need all of our prayers- they have both been released from the hospital and have a looooong road ahead of them! Our community and town needs to keep them in our prayers- they are the most wonderful people. And the guy that hit them needs to pay for what he did to these wonderful people and i truly hope that the justice system prevails in this case!
with all due respect to talk2t53 being here illegally does matter in OTHER ways. we are paying for it in many OTHER ways. BUT, drunk driving knows no race or status of citizenship. I KNOW the truth. I KNOW that it could NOT have hurt me any more if my 16 year old nephew had been killed by an illegal drunk driver INSTEAD of an off duty cop. it is my faith, hope, and love that keep me going.
Just pray for the Heathcotts that they have a speedy recovery and let the justice system take care of the rest.
gazer and faith hope love need to see the truth. Being here illegally DOES matter and we are all paying for it, in many ways. My first comments have been deleted, i guess state gazette is being politically correct.
There are so many people driving while drinking in Dyer county. I know of a man who acutally drove up to the police station while drinking and driving, had an open container in his vehicle and the PD never even did anything about it. this stuff makes me sick. Everybody wants to talk about an individual because he is Latino but i know mighty well there are hundreds of good 'ole white boys out there drinking and driving every week and laughing about the police letting them go without a ticket. I can count the people I personally know from Dyer County on my fingers and toes with more to count that the police have turned their heads, let off when they get to court etc, etc. i was in the court room one day when a 17 year old individual was before judge ingram for dui and Mr. Ingram told him he was a "good drunk driver" because when he veered in his car, he veered to the right (away from oncoming traffic) and not to the left. WHAT THEEEEEEEEEEEE?!!!! People who drink and drive are obliviant to the rest of society, self-centered and users. I don't care who signs the paycheck, what office they set in or what ethnic group they belong to. Not only do they put the others on the road in danger, they also put their families in a vunderable position for increased possibility for sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, intergenerational poverty and down right, low-class living. But the drinkers don't give a rip.
the best thang the judges should do is make this man leave dyersburg like they have told my brother and to never come back!!!!!!!!!!!
Through my husband whom is construction business and has done work for Jerry for 10 years plus- and through myself of being a student of DHS where Jerry taught T&I and i have knowm him for 28 years, this is a horrible tradegy and sickens me- Jerry and Ronda are wonderful people. I really hope this guy is punished to the fullest extend of the law- although he may be sorry and hate what he has done- I just don't codone drunk drivers- how do you run a light at that rate of speed? I can tell you how how? You are extremely freakin drunk!! My husband called today to check on Jerry and Ronda and they are as well as can be expected!! Thank God above!!!
Illegal? Of course he was illegal-illegally driving. He WAS drunk. Right? Any other kind of illegal doesn't matter. Innocent people have been hurt once again because of ignorant people. My prayers are with all involved. Pray for the innocent that they recover, and pray for the guilty to recover and change his life around. God does touch our lives with miracles. We have to keep faith.
I wish the Heathcotts a speedy recovery as well. It's ridiculous that so many people are on the streets getting DUI's and hurting innocent people. Wise up and get a DD. Also, it is a great injustice to put the Heathcotts address in this story. Was that really an essential part of the details? I think not!
I hope and pray the Heathcotts are okay.
REALLY....DO THEY HAVE TO PUT DOWN THE ADDRESSES?....OF COURSE, IF HE MAKES BOND, HE WILL HEAD RIGHT BACK ACROSS THE BORDER...NOTHING PERSONAL, BUT THEY WILL TELL YOU THEMSELVES, I GOT SOMEPLACE TO GO IF THE HEAT GETS TOO HOT.....
Now it is time for the other shoe to drop. This gentleman will not have insurance to pay for the damage and he will be long gone before any trial. Be sure to thank your politicians for this fine mess. Both parties are guilty. The Dimocrats wanted cheap votes and the Repubs wanted cheap labor.
I believe with prayers from people with faith (meaning people who have a relationship with Christ Jesus and not a relationship with religion) the Heathcotts will recover 100%. My prayers are with them and their family. Mr. Lopez I pray for you and your family too, I pray you will allow the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and mind.
With all due respect to all readers, derogatory comments do not help any situation ... I am sure Mr. Lopez and his family are suffering from the incident. Jesus tells us to forgive people or we will not be forgiven and do not judge others or we will be judged under the same judgment but worse. We have all sinned...and we have all made bad choices.
Before anyone says I don't understand well I can say this and understand very well. My family was victim to a terrible crime...murder and all my very close relative was doing was helping a person in need. I forgave the person and I prayed for the man who did this terrible thing. It was not easy but I do have peace now.
Where is the love in this Bible belt town? Mayor Revell once said we have to pray for all people regardless of the situation because we are all children of the Most High God. It saddens me to see people hurting people. Read the Word of God and seek Him first. The love will start flowing through your veins...
Try it. It really works
Jazzybrad,you're probably right!
1st, I hope the Heathcotts make a full recovery. This is a sad tradegy. 2nd, Why does the State Gazette always post the address of the subjects in their articles. Now the entire town knows where the Heathcotts live and that they are not at home. Hope they are not victimized a second time. Thanks State Gazette.
What a horrible accident. This guy should not have been driving at all, but obviously, he had to have more than 6 beers not to know he hit someone, let alone run a redlight. I know Mr.Heathcott and he is a great landlord. My prayers go out to both of them as I hear they are both still seriously injured, he in a room but his wife in intensive care. My prayers for a speedy recovery. I hope the drunk driver is prosecuted the the fullest.
Was this person an illegal? Such a shame this had to happen. The Heathcotts are fine folks.
I have known Jerry pretty much all of my life. I really hope that he and his wife are able to recover and come home soon. As for the driver, they should throw the book at him! I have a real issue to DUI's. There so are many ways to avoid drinking and driving. So very stupid! But my prayers for the Heathcott family.