Two airlifted after multi-vehicle crash

A three-vehicle accident on Saturday morning sent two young people via helicopter to University Hospital in Birmingham

According to the report from Roanoke Police Department, the wreck happened at 10:37 a.m. in front of the Travelers Inn on U.S. 431 South.

A white 2005 Buick LeSabre and a red 1996 Ford Escort were southbound on U.S. 431 near the Travelers Inn. The LeSabre, driven by Martha Ann Nix, 71, of Five Points was in motion, and the Escort, driven by Courtney Lynne Arrington, 22, of Roanoke, was stopped in traffic behind a silver vehicle turning into the motel parking lot.

The LeSabre swerved to miss the Escort, but was unable to avoid striking it in the right rear bumper. The LeSabre stopped across from the Travelers Inn entrance on the shoulder of the roadway. This had forced the Escort across the centerline into the northbound lane of traffic.

The Escort was then struck in the right front quarter panel and front end by the empty oncoming log truck, driven by J.D. Long, 57, of Daviston, which had nowhere to go and could not avoid the Escort. The Escort was spun around one complete rotation.

The force of impact ejected the passenger and driver out of the right side passenger window as it rotated. The driver and passenger, Titus Tyrone Lockhart, 18, of Roanoke, came to rest in the middle of U.S. 431.

The Escort then crossed back over and came to rest on the southbound shoulder. The log truck continued northbound and ran off the shoulder the road in front of Travelers Inn, where it came to rest with damage to the front left bumper, wheel and undercarriage.

The vehicle that was originally turning into the motel parking lot never turned in and instead continued southbound from the scene of the accident.

Arrington and Lockhart were transported to UAB, while Nix and Long were uninjured.