Williamsburg Fire Chief involved in car crash; passenger airlifted

Williamsburg Fire Chief James Privett was immediately on the scene of a two-vehicle injury accident Thursday morning.

Unfortunately for Privett, the reason he was on the scene so quickly was due to the fact that he was one of the drivers involved in the accident.

While Privett suffered only minor injuries, a passenger in the other vehicle had to be flown out via an emergency medical helicopter to Lexington for treatment.

The crash happened about 9:45 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Cumberland Avenue and US25W.

Privett was heading south in his fire department issued Dodge Ram pick-up truck when a older model Ford Escort, which was heading north, apparently pulled in front of him near IGA, according to Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird, one of the first officers to arrive on the scene.

"The elderly couple was making a left turn into IGA’s parking lot and they just turned right in front of the fire chief, who had no where to go and struck them head-on," Bird said.

Whitley County EMS transported the male driver of the car to a Baptist Health Corbin for treatment.

The female passenger was transported by ambulance to an emergency landing zone, which was set up at Cumberland Regional Mall.

She was flown out by THI emergency medical helicopter to the University of Kentucky Medical Center for treatment.

Bird said that he doesn’t know the extent of the elderly couple’s injuries.

Privett, who apparently had a cut to his hand that was bandaged at the scene and small cut to the top of his head, was taken by private vehicle to the Baptist Health Corbin where he was treated and released.

"He’s OK. He was just banged up pretty good," Bird said.

The car was totaled during the accident and the fire chief’s vehicle sustained significant front end damage.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Mike Witt is investigating the accident.

Members of the Williamsburg Fire Department, Williamsburg Police Department and Whitley County EMS assisted at the scene.