

DeKalb County has seen its first highway fatality after a crash Saturday night, Feb. 1 claimed the life of a 20 year-old Smithville man.
Samuel Dewayne Wright was taken from the crash site, Cookeville Highway near the DeKalb/Putnam County line, by DeKalb EMS to Ascension St. Thomas Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The two car accident occurred around 8:17 p.m.
Trooper Caleb Bain of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said that Wright was traveling south on Highway 56 in a 2006 Mini Cooper as 18 year-old Hunter Hoffman of Mount Juliet was northbound in a 2015 Dodge Charger.
According to Trooper Bain it is unknown as this time which driver was at fault until CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) of the THP takes a look at the scene and conducts a further investigation.
Hoffman was transported by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.
Both were wearing their seatbelts.