Woman could lose arm after dune buggy accident

An injured 22-year-old woman could lose her arm following a dune buggy crash late Sunday evening in the Redbird area near the McCreary County line.
Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Meadors said he was only able to get the woman’s first name, Brittany, before emergency workers removed her from the scene to an area hospital.
He said Brittany suffered a severely lacerated right arm that had a compound fracture near the elbow, and that he’s not sure if doctors will be or were able to save her arm.
Brittany was riding with Toby Dotson in a dune buggy with another couple, Michael Blanton and Julie Poarch, following on a four-wheeler.
Meadors said that he’s not sure how the accident happened, but that the dune buggy went over an embankment in the woods landing on its side.
Dotson was the apparent owner of the dune buggy, and suffered a severe case of road rash to his upper body, and had bleeding from his ears, Meadors said.
He said Blanton and Poarch admitted that all four had been riding around all day drinking vodka and orange juice.
Meadors said alcohol was a factor, but that he doesn’t know if it caused the accident.
“They were all four intoxicated. You could smell it on all of them,” he noted.
Meadors said that neither Blanton, 38, of Revelo, nor Poarch, 22, of Junction City, would admit to driving the four-wheeler.
Both were charged with public intoxication, and pleaded not guilty during their arraignment Monday in Whitley District Court. Judge Dan Ballou scheduled Oct. 7 trial dates in both cases.
Meadors said that at this time he hasn’t charged either Dotson or Brittany.
“I guess their injuries are their punishment,” he noted.
Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Hodge assisted at the scene along with local firefigthers, rescue squad members, and both McCreary and Whitley County EMS.