Columbia man dies in Thompson's Station crash

A Columbia man was killed Monday in a fiery car crash in Thompson’s Station.Joe E. Martin, 62, was traveling south on Columbia Pike at about 4 p.m. Monday when his Ford Ranger was struck by a Chevy Impala driven by 88-year-old Alice L. Fisher. The northbound car veered into his lane, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol report.

No criminal charges have been filed, and no citation has been issued to Fisher, who was critically injured in the crash.
Martin was not wearing a safety belt; however, Sgt. Charles Achinger said in the report a seat belt would not have made a difference in this accident, which involved Martin becoming trapped in his burning vehicle. The crash did not involve alcohol or drugs, the report says.

While responding to the crash, a sheriff’s deputy ran a police cruiser off of Columbia Pike into a ditch near Critz Lane, just down the road from the accident scene.