County woman killed in wreck

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
A Franklin County woman was killed early Thursday when the vehicle she was driving was struck as she attempted to pull out of her driveway.
Willodene Hester, 78, of 1425 Franklin 48, was killed when the 1997 Buick she was driving was struck as she pulled out of her driveway about 7:50 a.m.
Her husband, 80 year-old Jimmy Roger Hester, was injured in the crash and treated at Russellville Hospital. He was later released.
The driver of the other vehicle, Donald Steele, 75, of 2243 Franklin 48, Russellville, was admitted to Russellville Hospital after the wreck.
Emergency personnel at the scene said the Hesters' were pulling out of their driveway onto Franklin 48 when Steele's 1996 Ford Ranger pickup crashed into the driver's side, striking the area of the car that Willodene Hester was seated in. Steele was headed west on Franklin 48 toward Russellville, officials said.
The wreck occurred in the Pleasant Ridge community, which is between Russellville and Tharptown. Emergency personnel from
Tharptown and Russellville responded to the scene as well as NorthStar Ambulance.
Reports indicate that after being struck, the Hesters' car continued across the roadway and into a ditch on the south side of Franklin 48.
The car continued in a westward direction in the ditch before hitting a culvert.
The car then jumped the culvert and came to a stop after crashing into some bushes about 200 feet from where the collision occurred.