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Crash survivor still learning to walk after deadly Spring Hill crash two years ago

Spring Hill crash scene
Posted at 5:59 PM, Jan 20, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-20 21:14:12-05

SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WTVF) — Spring Hill Police Department officials said three people have died after a crash on Highway 31.

A small SUV and passenger car were involved in the crash, near the GM plant in Spring Hill.

The victims have been identified as Linda Joyce Horton and David Horton of Spring Hill. Police said they were in one vehicle.

Crystal McPherson of Columbia, originally from Arizona, was in the other. She died, too.

This brought back flashbacks for Deann O'Brien, who was in a wreck not far from where Friday's crash occurred. She still suffers from PTSD after her crash on Nashville Highway and Carters Creek Pike.

"When I woke up, I didn’t know what year it was. Like I have Swiss cheese memory. I don’t remember giving birth to my daughter,"
O’Brien said.

The multivehicle crash she was involved in left one person dead. The incident left O’Brien with several injuries. She had to learn to walk and talk all over again.

"I know why people may not walk again because the threshold of pain you have to be able to endure. Your blood pressure is going up. Your heart rate going up. You’re vomiting from pain and no amount of medication is helping," O’Brien said.

Law enforcement agencies said drivers should slow down.

O’Brien’s thinks the growth of the area just can’t keep up with the amount of traffic congestion and hopes something is done to prevent more tragedies.

"If we just had turning lanes, I think that would help. If we can’t get the turning lanes, we can start with stop lights or something as simple as budgeting a traffic unit since we know it’s a high traffic area, and there’s been so many accidents," O’Brien said.

Last year, there were over a dozen crashes within the same stretch of highway from Friday morning's crash, according to police.

Wrecks on Highway 31 near the GM plant:

2020: 10 non injury, 5 injury, 0 fatal
2021: 10 non injury, 5 injury, 1 fatal
2022: 11 non injury, 3 injury, 0 fatal

Friday's crash is still under investigation.