Heavy Hearts for Young Victims Killed in Horrific Crash on I-40 in Hermitage on Wednesday
“It looked like there was nothing left of the Dodge Neon but two front seats,” said Melissa Broz, our Events Coordinator, of the scene Wednesday morning while she was on her way to Rocky McElhaney Law Firm’s Hendersonville office. “I just broke into tears. I knew that someone was about to receive the worst news of their life and I just prayed,” she added.
Unfortunately, what Melissa witnessed on Wednesday would forever change the lives of several families. 26 year old Ulrique Severe of New York, and 22-year-old Irby-Reynolds from Pennsylvania both died at the scene, and now, 22-year-old Kishon Forsyth is still fighting for his life at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
According to Channel 5 News Nashville, the wreck happened at about 6 am yesterday. Driver, Nathan Zarzycki of Pennsylvania, and his four passengers, Severe, Irby-Reynolds, Forsyth and Kristopher Duviellia, were on their way back to Pennsylvania from Texas. Zarzycki told investigators that he got tired while driving; so he put his hazards on and pulled his 2005 Dodge Neon over to the far left side of I-40 East (at mile marker 220) to what he thought was the shoulder, to take a brief nap.
Shortly thereafter, Matt King, of Cookeville, unable to stop in time, crashed his van into the back of the tiny Neon at top speed with force enough to flip over his van. King stated that there was no way for him to avoid the collision, because the Neon was stopped in the HOV lane without flashers on. This then caused a third driver to slam into the back of Kings overturned van. Thankfully, that driver’s injuries as well as King’s injuries were non-life threatening.
The wreck shut down the interstate between Stewarts Ferry Exit 219 and Hermitage Exit 220 all morning as investigators continued to search for answers. We can’t help but wonder why and what if Zarzycki and his passengers would have just made it to the next exit before deciding to “pull off to the shoulder.”
Our hearts break for everyone involved in this tragedy and are praying for the victims and their families. We extend our hope that everyone is mindful getting behind the wheel to buckle up, never drive tired or distracted, and never pull off to the shoulder of a highway if you can make it to an exit unless it is an absolute emergency. Life is precious.
If you have experienced the unimaginable: the loss a loved one as a result of a catastrophic vehicle wreck, nothing can ever replace what has been lost. But there is hope and help to not only honor your loved one’s memory, but to get them the justice they deserve. The Rocky McElhaney Law Firm serves those who have experienced such a tragic loss throughout the State of Tennessee and Kentucky.