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Four die Monday in Qualla head-on collision
By Carey Phillips
A stretch of U.S. 441 near Smokey Mountain Elementary School has suddenly turned extremely deadly.
Four people were killed Monday evening around 6:50 p.m. in a two-vehicle wreck just north of the school and within view of the site of a collision that claimed two lives 10 days earlier.
In both accidents, a northbound vehicle crossed into the southbound lanes and struck another vehicle head-on.
Those killed Monday were Cathryn Caldwell, 55, and Tom Caldwell, 82, both of Birmingham, Ala., Thomas Raymond Jaros, 68, of Cherokee, and Gary Rayburn Ely, 62, of Rose Hill, Va. They all died at the scene.
Four people traveling in a southbound 2000 Honda Odyssey van (top photo) were killed in a two-vehicle accident around 6:50 p.m. Monday on U.S. 441 near Smokey Mountain Elementary School. The deceased were the driver, Cathryn Caldwell, 55, and Tom Caldwell, 82, both of Birmingham, Ala.; Thomas Raymond Jaros, 68, of Cherokee; and Gary Rayburn Ely, 62, of Rose Hill, Va. A northbound 2003 Chevrolet pick-up truck (left) driven by Timothy Brown, 32, of Tuckasegee and Cherokee, crossed into the southbound lanes and struck the van head-on. Brown was airlifted to Mission Hospitals in Asheville where he was listed in fair condition Tuesday. – Herald photos by Nick Breedlove
Cathryn Caldwell was operating a southbound 2000 Honda Odyssey Van, and the others killed were her passengers, according to N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Ledford.
The van was struck by a 2003 Chevrolet pick-up truck traveling north (toward Cherokee) being driven by Timothy Brown, 32, according to Ledford. Brown had a Tuckasegee address but had recently moved to the Cherokee area, Ledford said.
Brown was airlifted to Mission Hospitals in Asheville where he was listed in fair condition Tuesday afternoon.
Ledford said Tuesday morning that officers do not know what caused Brown’s vehicle to cross the center turn lane and collide with the van in the outside southbound lane.
“At this time it is still under investigation,” Ledford said. “We don’t think alcohol was a factor, but he was going in excess of the posted speed limit (50 mph). It was a very violent collision.”
Charges are pending, according to Ledford.
The highway was shut down for some four hours before the bodies were removed from the van. Traffic was detoured onto Shoal Creek Church Road, Ledford said.
“Due to the magnitude of the collision, we wanted to do a thorough investigation,” he said. “We had enough manpower on the scene to shut down the road and make sure we got it right.”
Ledford expressed appreciation to everyone involved at the scene. In addition to the Highway Patrol, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Rescue Squad were there along with emergency medical personal and members of local fire departments, Ledford said.
Trooper Brian Parker was the investigating officer.
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