Published: July 14, 2008 05:21 pm      

Families affected by crash go to Red Cross, area churches

Kenneth Mackie and his wife usually stay at home on a Saturday night, but this weekend was different due to a wreck on Interstate 40 that shut down the road and required the evacuation of a two-mile radius surrounding the wreck.

The roads were closed in Cumberland County due to an accident that involved a tanker from New Jersey hauling a hazardous chemical, titanium tetrachloride, on I-40 at the 331 mile marker. The accident occurred Saturday afternoon around 2:35 p.m., according to Cumberland County Sheriff's Department Chief Investigator Gary Howard. I-40 was closed at the Peavine Rd. exit and the Westal exit. Hwy. 70 East was closed from Crab Orchard to Ozone.

The Mackies found themselves leaving their home and spending the night at the First Baptist Church on Peavine Rd. in Fairfield Glade with their great-grandson, Steven.

Three shelters were set up by the Red Cross.

"Well, 911 called and told us about it and then the rescue squad came by later around 8, I guess, and told us we needed to leave – so we did," said Kenneth Mackie.

The Red Cross served 29 people due to the road closures and evacuation order.

Other shelters were set up at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Genesis Rd. and Believer's Fellowship Church on N. Main St. at the 317 exit.

"We have been treated real well here. This is a fine, fine church. Everyone has been so friendly to us," Mr. Mackie said.

Bill Bruce, a volunteer with the Red Cross who was at the shelter said as of 2 a.m. they had 15 people and were expecting a few more.

"Now this is the first time we've ever had to do anything like this. When they told us we had to go I just threw our stuff into a bag and we left. We had our great-grandson, so he came with. They said we'd be here probably 11 hours. They've all been great here," Faye Mackie said.

The Mackies' home is on Hwy. 70 E. directly across from the 331 mile-marker on I-40.

"The traffic was backed up so bad when we were trying to leave it took almost an hour to get from our house down to Crab Orchard. Then we had to come over here. He's pretty excited about all this," Mackie said of her great-grandson. "I hope I can try and get him to go to sleep, now."

As the Mackies went back into the church, another family with small children in a minivan pulled up at the church and exited the vehicle with pillows and blankets in hand. The adults, in a sleepy state, dragged themselves out of the vehicle. The children jumped out.

"Wow! Do they have a swimming pool?" one of the boys asked as he exited the van.

"No. This is a church, son," his father replied.

The family entered the building to settle in for the evening.

As of late Sunday afternoon and evening the evacuation order was lifted and the people had left the shelters.