Blount County, TN : Maryville man, 71, dies in crash on Morganton Road near Springview Road on Wednesday afternoon, Aug 26, 2015

A 71-year-old Maryville man died Wednesday afternoon when his pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a van head-on in Blount County.

James D. Johnson was pronounced dead at Blount Memorial Hospital, according to Marian O'Briant, spokeswoman for the Blount County Sheriff's Office. A Greenback couple in their 70s also suffered injuries.

The crash occurred about 12:15 p.m. on Morganton Road near Springview Road.

Johnson was driving north on Morganton when his 1999 Ford Ranger crossed the centerline and hit a 2005 Dodge Caravan driven by Novella Hargett, according to O'Briant. Hargett, 71, whose husband Brice, 75, was riding with her, tried unsuccessfully to avoid the Ford.

Both vehicles landed in the roadway. All three people wore seat belts, and the airbags deployed in both vehicles, according to O'Briant.

The Hargetts were taken by University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment. According to O'Briant, they were in stable condition.

The Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit is investigating the accident.

Source:

Maryville man, 71, dies from crash injuries