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Two Critical After Major Highway 29 Cantonment Crash (Updated With Names, More Photos)
May 12, 2016
Two people were critically injured in a traffic crash at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road Wednesday night.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 58-year old Diane Purifoy was northbound on Highway 29 in the left turn to Muscogee Road when she turned her 2001 Buick Century into the path of southbound Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 36-year old Christopher Carlisle Odom, Jr. of Ruskin, FL.
The Tahoe collided with the rear of the Buick, shearing the car nearly in half. The Tahoe continued south on Highway 29, overturning several times and coming to rest nearly past the Raceway gas station at the railroad tracks. Odom and his passenger, 43-year old Joseph Michael Kettering of Cantonment, were critically injured.
Both men in the SUV were not wearing their seat belts and were ejected during the crash. One of them was trapped under the vehicle until freed by firemen. The FHP did not specify in their report which man was trapped. Both were transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. Odom was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash according to the FHP report.
Purifoy, who was wearing her seat belt, received only minor injuries in the wreck and taken to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment.
A tire and a portion of the Buick came to rest several feet away near the gas pumps in the Raceway parking lot (see bottom photo). There were no injuries as a result.
A charges in the crash are pending the outcome of the FHP investigation.
For more photos from the crash scene, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Comments
35 Responses to “Two Critical After Major Highway 29 Cantonment Crash (Updated With Names, More Photos)”
As of last Friday Mr Odom was in a Coma, he was a few cracked rids, broken Pelvis bone and a broken collar bone. That’s all I know at the moment. .
Does anyone know the status of the injured? My friends and I were at Raceway when it happened and we can’t stop wondering about their status.
Me and another was behind this entire event,I don’t see no blame game we also had a red light. Im pretty sure all that seen this is happy everyone is alive. I’ve seen a lot of wrecks but this is the worse one for me. All I can say is God was there with these people. I heard people from the fire department, state trooper, county police, when they saw the car said they never seen one that bad and the people in it live. Enough said.
I for one am so happy that” NO ONE IS DEAD” Now if we can get the facts right the women pulled out in front of them.. It’s bad enough as it is. No blame game please.. ALL DRIVE SAFE
PLEASE
My wife and me was coming back from wind creek a truck was beside us a motorcycle went between, the suv tried to but there wasn’t room we seen they were going to try it again so we backed off then they went
by us the next light was were the accident happen our light had just turned red the sub started to
Flip at the speed they were going no way they could stop the lady was turning left they hit her witch caused them to start flipping people say they were doing 40 when the motorcycle passed and then the suv they were doing 100 or close to it as soon as my wife and me seen the suv flip she called 911. I pulled over and checked on the lady first, she seemed to be ok. So I went and checked on the others, by this time the county police was getting on the scene. If we had a red light the lady had the right away. God bless.
Just remember, when you come thru that intersection in Cantonment, doing 45-50 mph or more, the people sitting there waiting on the light have your life in their hands, in the feet they use on the brake pedals of their cars that are in gear ready to pull away from a stop. “My foot slipped off the brake” is gonna do you no good when you are laying on a slab downtown.
We take for granted that they are gonna wait their turn, when in fact they can very easily decide to jump the gun & go, ending your life. Do your best to be prepared, & be planning an escape route for when you encounter an idiot.
Some other bad intersections are: all of them coming into Ensley, all the way south on 29 to Car City. Be alert!
This was a bad one, I hope everybody involved makes a full recovery.
If you’re going to drink alcohol or take drugs, please stay home or wherever you can find a place to park your butt. Stop driving and injuring/killing innocent people. ALWAYS wear your seat belts. More lives are saved than not. Prayers for everyone to make a full recovery.
From the looks of things the Tahoe must have been speeding to
Tear up th buick so badly. To me the lady in the buick would have had plenty of time to make her turn if the Tahoe had been going the speed limit. Just a theory not factual.
Regina, he was under the influence, either way he shouldn’t have been driving, period, they were both @ fault, so who was in the wrong or @ fault, they both were. I’m sort honey but you shouldn’t be excusing either one of them. & going by the looks, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t speeding excessively.
I wonder if the “chip” in the SUV recorded the speed of his car. Did he have a green light or had the turn arrow come on for the Buick and she turned and was hit. And what time of the night did this happen?
Prayers to everyone’s family I pray for your strength I thank god that my auntie was covered by the blood of Jesus no one knows what happen if u wasn’t there so who are you to say who fault it is it a person’s own fault that they make irresponsible decision to drive under the influence putting their life snd others at risk so let’s not point finger instead drop to tour knees and say a prayer for the ones in need! I thank you god for my auntie’s life !
Speed kills.
3 top causes in the United States for vehicle accidents. Number 1 is Drunk driving. Number 2 is speeding. Number 3 is being distracted. Why can’t people stop driving under the influence? Why can’t people just slow down? Why can’t people put their cell phones away while they drive or anything that may be causing distractions. I can’t tell you the answer to this academic. It is a privilege to drive, not your right. So just drive responsible and and don’t be a statistic.
In response to the people talking about it being the fault of the person under the influence, please be minded that even though it isn’t right, it was not his fault. She pulled out in front of him. So prayer in for all but please have enough respect not to talk down about any of them.
>>>So what wreck is the pic at the top of the article from? The Buick and Tahoe pics are at the bottom and the one at the top is obviously a different vehicle.
The one at the top is the Buick…almost ripped in half
So what wreck is the pic at the top of the article from? The Buick and Tahoe pics are at the bottom and the one at the top is obviously a different vehicle.
This driver almost crashed into my son, his girlfriend and 2 babies. Thank God she was paying attention and was able to get out of the way. Sorry for the people he did hit it was 2 cars in front of my family. Prayers to all involved!!!
I’m still amazed at the number of people who still don’t wear their seatbelts for some reason or another. Thankfully these men will live and hopefully learn. @momma, this is not the time nor place to sound one’s own trumpet, just sayin…
“Both men in the SUV were not wearing their seat belts and were ejected during the crash.”
From the looks of it, they are lucky to be alive. Wear your seat belts people.
How awful. I’m glad everyone is going to be alright. I hope this will wake up the driver, whom was reportedly under the influence. He could have killed Ms. Purifoy.
Me and my family would like to thank everyone that cared and comforted our brothers in time of need. The kindness of people is amazing. Thank you all for your prayers. Please be respectful of judging or voiceing unnecessary comments. This is a tragedy for all involve and their family’s. Again thanks to everyone that took the extra steps to ensure their survival. Are families still have our loved ones today and for that we are truely blessed.
Drinking and driving do not mix. Sadly we still have people on the road doing it everyday. I’m glad everyone involved is alive, thank you God and to the first responders. That lady is very blessed to have only minor injuries being hit as hard as she was. I pray this is a wake up call for the under driving under the influence without a seat belt and his passenger.
We seen the accident coming back down from atmore,was very bad,there was a rear wheel all the way by the glass door of the gas station.Prayers for everyone.
Want God do it !! Thank you God for your Grace and Mercy !!! Praying for everyone in da SUV nd my auntie in da car !! Lord we thank you !!! God is a good God all da time !!!
Charles – My Associate Pastor and his daughter who is home from college saw the accident not long after it happened. They stopped and prayed with the people involved until the paramedics made them move away. They would be happy to go visit your brothers if they would like. Thank God for your good report and am praying for continued recovery.
My daughter works as a Paramedic and responded to this accident. So PROUD of the work she is doing… she took BOTH trauma alerts because she didn’t want to leave one behind to wait on the other ambulance… that can be the difference between LIFE & DEATH!!! Prayers for the families and also for our FIRST RESPONDERS who have these visions repeatedly… we’ll never know the physical and EMOTIONAL strain this job puts on these live savers!!!
Prayers for all involved!
Charles. My associate Pastor and his college age daughter went by right after it happened. They went to the people in the accident and prayed for them and encouraged them until the paramedics made them move away. Know if your brothers would like them to come see them in the hospital they are willing to do so. Thanking God for your good report.
@ Charles—– so glad your brothers are good. Will continue to pray for their recovery.
Thank you to all the emergency responders!
I am a lucky person this morning . my two brothers are alive and kicking . my big brother was in the SUV I wouldn’t know what to do with out him , And to my other brother you are one of a kind a friend for life . . It goes to show u how fast things can happen that can take them away.
What a tragic scene. Thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families.
REGARDING:
” One person was ejected and trapped under the SUV”
Please keep this in mind when you don’t want to be trapped in a car in case of a wreck. “In” is better than “under,”
David for better outcomes
Prayers going up for all involved!
prayers for all involved
I pray everyone involved will be OK. GOD BLESS