Whittier woman is seriously injured; wreck raises safety concerns at SMES

By Carey Phillips

Natalie Elders, 40, was listed in critical condition Wednesday morning at Mission-St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville.

Elders is vice president of the school's PTA, according to School Superintendent Mack McCary. She and her husband, Dewayne, have a daughter who attends SMES and another who graduated from there and now attends Smoky Mountain High School.

The wreck has raised concerns about the safety of the intersection in front of the school.

Trooper Mike McLeod of the N.C. Highway Patrol said Elders was leaving the school in a 1999 Nissan passenger car and making a left turn onto U.S. 441 South. He said she pulled into the path of a 1997 Ford pickup truck operated by Donald Tomlin, 59, of Whittier. The pickup was in the northbound inside lane, according to McLeod.

"There was a potential vision obstruction caused by cars stopped in the right-hand lane waiting to turn into the school," McLeod said. The trooper said speed was not a factor.

Tomlin was treated and released at Harris Regional Hospital, according to McLeod.

McCary addressed the safety issue of the school's entrance on U.S. 441 during Monday's school board meeting. He released a letter sent to N.C. Department of Transportation officials by the grandmother of four Smokey Mountain students detailing a near-accident under similar circumstances to last week's wreck. Also released was a response from the DOT and a letter to the DOT from McCary and School Board Chairman James Roper.

A letter dated March 14 from Jean Revis to Scott Cook and Steven Buchanan of the DOT says she hopes DOT officials "will become aware of how desperately a red light is needed" at the intersection. Revis stated her husband, James Revis, was exiting the school on Feb. 7 after picking up their grandchildren.

"As he was leaving the school, he started to cross the four-lane; however, just as he pulled out, James and the children heard the screaming of breaks of an oncoming car," she wrote. "James had not seen the car as it was hidden behind a vehicle which was turning into the school."

While an accident was averted, Mrs. Revis said her husband and grandchildren were shaken by the incident.

"My husband told me that when the incident happened he remembered me telling him that someone would have to die before a red light was placed before the school," Revis wrote. "I hope this will not be the case."

Revis stated she had previously talked to Division 14 DOT board member Conrad Burrell about the situation.

In closing she wrote, "If a tragedy happens at this intersection, I want it documented that the people who could have prevented the tragedy knew about the problem but choose to ignore it."

In a response dated March 31, DOT division traffic engineer Cook wrote that the intersection had been surveyed several times, but a signal was not recommended because of the light crash history (two in the last five years).

"We have begun an engineering study to determine if traffic volume has increased sufficiently to warrant a signal at the location or if any other traffic measures are necessary," Cook wrote. "Once our study is completed, which usually takes four to six weeks, we will share the results with you."

Burrell said after hearing from Revis he spoke with Division Engineer Ron Watson and has talked with him again since last week's wreck. He said the situation at the school is being looked into.

McCary and Roper wrote a letter to Cook following Elders' wreck.

"Ms. Elders' view was obstructed by another vehicle as she was attempting to pull out to see if the traffic was clear for her to proceed onto the highway," the letter states.

"Due to the seriousness of this tragedy, we would respectfully ask you to reconsider your recent decision not to install a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 441 and the entrance to Smokey Mountain Elementary School," the letter says. "For some time the staff and parents have been extremely concerned about the safety of this intersection.

"While your recent response to Ms. Revis indicates that the traffic volume and crash history does not justify a light, we are hopeful that the seriousness of this recent tragedy is enough to justify a light at that intersection," the school administrators wrote. "We are extremely concerned about the safety of our children, parents and staff at this dangerous intersection."

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