Sent to me today by Cindy.
This is the article that was in the newspaper. Dusty is very lucky to be alive. He is doing better each day. He still has some trouble from the concussion but he is coming along. I just hope he has learned a valuable lesson in this. They are still a little green and thought because a Sgt befriended them and offered them a ride that he had a designated driver that was not drinking but she was, and they could have lost their lives for that error in judgement.Dusty and the woman on the other vehicle were the criticals that they wanted to airlift out . His ear was severed but they were able to reattach it , and broken ribs , nose, severe concussion, His ear looked pretty good when I left , the concussion seems to be getting better, so its just time now. The woman who was supposed to be the Sgts wife wasnt his wife...it gets uglier. her husband is deployed in Iraq at the moment. so thats that. Sorry I didnt get in touch with everyone when it happened it has been a taxing time. I ended up spending 9 days at Ft Campbell looking after him. They released him from intensive care to my care which was a little nerve racking. But he is doing better. So thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts. Cindy
Sept. 25, 2005
Clarksville police say that alcohol could be a factor in a head-on collision which injured four people — two critically — about 7 p.m. Sunday on Tiny Town Road near Peachers Mill Road.
According to Capt. Gary Perry with the Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services, a woman driving a black Nissan pickup truck collided with a silver Mitsubishi sports utility vehicle.
It took crews with the Clarksville Fire Rescue nearly an hour to extricate the woman from the SUV because of apparent severe breaks to her legs.
"Actually, she was underneath the dash, and we had to basically remove the entire vehicle from around her," Perry said. "She was just in a lot of pain and very disoriented."
According to Fatal Accident Crash Team Officer Mike Caver, there were three males — all soldiers at Fort Campbell — in the Nissan driven by Mary Sharp, 44, of White Oak Drive.
Sharp, and two of the soldiers, Dustin Schmidt, 26, and Christopher Mitchell, 22, were taken to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital at Fort Campbell.
A third soldier, 34-year-old Bradley Johnson, walked to his home nearby and was later driven to Blanchfield later by an acquaintance.
The driver of the SUV, Tanyan Hammond, 41, of Trenton Road, was transferred to Gateway Medical Center with nonlife-threatening injuries.
Perry said evacuation helicopters were grounded because of the weather.
"We called Vanderbilt LifeFlight, but because of the rain and heavy winds, they were unable to fly," he said.
During the extrication, two firefighters were injured when hydraulic fluid from the "Jaws of Life" splashed into their eyes. They were treated at the scene.
According to passengers in the pickup truck, Sharp hit a puddle of water near a construction area and crossed the double-yellow line when she hit Hammond's vehicle, Caver said.
"There were toxicology tests on both drivers at the scene, and a preliminary investigation has determined that alcohol was a factor," he said.
Charges are pending in the case, according to Caver.
Perry said EMS crews were busy Sunday evening because of the demand of ambulance services throughout the county around the same time.
"We really got bombarded there for a while, but we managed it," Perry said.
Fatal Accident Crash Team Officer Bob Peterson and Caver are the lead investigators of the accident, which is still under investigation.
Anyone with information about the accident is encouraged to call Caver at 648-0656, ext. 7060.
Chantal Escotocan be reached by telephone at 245-0216 or by e-mail at chantalescoto@theleafchronicle.com.
Originally published September 26, 2005
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"