Family and friends have continued to rally around a Franklin County family involved in a deadly car accident.
The New Year’s Eve accident in Winchester killed two seven-year-old twin boys and seriously injured their parents.
“It’s been very devastating,” said Sara Liner, a friend of the Hill family. “When I heard, my heart absolutely sank. It hurt so bad for the family.”
Liner said Aaron and Lynetta Hill and their twin boys had just picked up groceries in Winchester on New Year’s Eve. Police said when the family stopped at the Highway 41 and Bypass Road intersection, a car traveling about 90 miles per hour plowed into the back of their minivan. The Hill’s car then hit a Ford pickup truck.
James Hill, 7, died shortly after the accident. John, 7, passed away over the weekend. Aaron and Lynetta Hill were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Lynetta is in stable condition with 12 broken ribs, a broken vertebrae and a collapsed lung. Aaron is in critical condition.
Mary Parks, 83, the driver of the other vehicle died Friday of her injuries. Her passenger, Jimmie Northcutt, 75, is in stable condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center. No one in the pickup truck was injured.
Liner said James and John Hill were students at Deerfield Elementary School in Manchester. John was autistic.
Liner added as word of the accident spread, the outpouring of support from friends and neighbors was immediate. A Go Fund Me account has already raised thousands to help the family with medical and funeral expenses.
“Even if you don’t know this family, personally you can feel the heartbreak,” said Liner. “To lose both your children, it’s heartbreaking.”
Winchester police continue to investigate the accident to determine why the car that hit the Hill family was traveling so fast.
Funeral arrangements for James and John Hill are still pending.
To donate to the Go Fund Me account visit: https://www.gofundme.com/kuh3cm3c
