A Smithville woman was killed last Thursday afternoon after a devastating head-on collision on Highway 96, near the Wilson County line.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Johnson, 57-year-old Darryl Meadows of Smithville, was driving south on Highway 96 (Murfreesboro Highway) in a 2001 Ford F150. At the same time, 64-year-old Sally Potts of Smithville, was traveling north in a 2002 Honda Civic.

Authorities say that Potts’ Honda crossed the center line of the roadway, directly into the path of the Ford. The impact was head-on.

Deputies with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, a unit with DeKalb EMS, Liberty Engine 65, and the DeKalb Rescue Squad rushed to the site, but Potts was declared dead at the scene. Trooper Johnson was assisted at the scene by Trooper Caleb Bain and Sergeant Tracy White.

Meadows was rushed to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital, and later transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville with serious injuries.

The tragic accident marks the first death on DeKalb County roadways this year. The incident remains under investigation.