Whitley Intermediate School teachers’ aide dies in crash Monday

A single vehicle crash on US25W near Mt. Ash late Monday afternoon claimed the life of a Williamsburg woman.

Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley pronounced Sandy Petrey, 59, dead at the scene about 5:28 p.m.

Croley said that Petrey died instantly from injuries she sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

No autopsy was ordered but a routine blood toxicology test will be performed, which is standard procedure in fatal accidents, Croley noted.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonas Saunders, who investigated the crash, said that neither drug nor alcohol involvement was suspected, but that speed played a role in the crash.

She was a teacher’s aide in the Whitley Intermediate School.

The crash happened shortly after 5 p.m. as Petrey was headed home, Croley said.

Saunders said that Petrey was driving a pick-up truck south on US25W when she came upon two vehicles waiting to turn onto Mt. Ash.

"She was behind them and couldn’t stop in time I guess. She hit her brakes and the vehicle crossed over into the other lane and went over an embankment," Saunders noted.

Croley said the Ford F-150 traveled about 20-30 feet down the embankment before striking a tree.

Petrey did not have to be extricated from the vehicle.

She was not wearing a seatbelt but the airbags in her vehicle did deploy, Croley said.

Whitley County EMS and Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The crash caused the roadway to be shutdown for over two hours. It reopened shortly about 7:30 p.m.