Published: August 19, 2008 11:31 pm      

ECCC staff members recovering from accident

A van carrying staff members of East Central Community College was involved in a traffic accident Friday at about 3 p.m. as the group returned from the campus of East Mississippi Community College.

ECCC President Dr. Phil Sutphin said in an e-mail the life of one member of the group, Joey Kenna, was saved by less injured staffers.

"Joey Kenna, who is one of our WIRED Grant employees, suffered a severed artery in his left arm as a result of the crash," said Sutphin. "Other staffers who weren't as badly injured were able to apply a tourniquet that most assuredly kept him from bleeding to death."

The accident occurred at 3 p.m. on the Hwy. 25 bypass north of Louisville. Sutphin said another vehicle crossed the highway and hit the rear quarter panel of the ECCC-owned van. The impact caused the van to roll over several times causing injuries of varying degrees to everyone inside.

Kenna of Forest, Roger Whitlock of Union and Lucretia Williams of Lena had the most serious injuries of the eight.

Kenna, who was first transported to a Louisville hospital, was later sent by air ambulance to University Medical Center in Jackson where he underwent successful surgery Friday night. His left arm was surgically repaired with a vein from his leg. He was admitted into a private room Saturday night and is expected to be discharged from the hospital by mid-week.

Whitlock and Williams were first sent to a Starkville hospital and later transported to UMC by land ambulance. Tina Harris of Decatur was first sent to a Louisville hospital and released Friday night. However she received additional treatment at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian during the weekend.

Four other passengers, Joe Barrett, Chris Clark and Kimberly Mott, all of Decatur, and Joseph Knight of Union were treated and released at a Louisville hospital Friday night.

"Williams will return to UMC for reconstructive facial surgery," Sutphin said. "All are very fortunate to have escaped with the injuries they received; it could have been so much worse."

The staff members were returning from a meeting on the Mayhew campus of EMCC when the accident occurred.