1 dead, 2 injured in Cosby Highway collision

A passenger died and the drivers of two vehicles involved in a collision Thursday afternoon in Newport suffered serious injuries.

According to a crash report from the Newport Police Department, the accident occurred at around 12:39 p.m. on US 321 (Cosby Highway) when the driver of a 2005 Honda Accord EX appeared to be making a turn onto Templin struck a 2010 Honda Accord with both cars sustaining heavy front end damage.

The passenger in the 2005 Honda, identified in the report as Geneva Sue Fillers, 57, was transported to Newport Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Both drivers — Toran Hedgepath, 41, driver of the 2010 Honda and Steve Walker, 61, driver of the 2005 Honda — received serious injuries and were each airlifted to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. No further information was available regarding their conditions.

The report indicates that the 2010 Honda was traveling northbound on Cosby Highway when the other vehicle was southbound and appeared to be attempting to make a turn onto Templin when the collision occurred.

All three were still inside the vehicles when police arrived on the scene.