A South Carolina man died on injuries resulting from this accident which occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at the 175 mile marker of Interstate 20. Otis Owens, 58, of North Charleston, S.C., was declared dead at Scenic Mountain Medical later that afternoon. (HERALD photo/Steve Reagan)
Otis Owens, 58, of North Charleston, S.C., died as a results of injuries sustained in the accident, which occurred at approximately 4:55 p.m. Tuesday along the 175 mile marker of Interstate 20.
A Department of Public Safety spokesperson said Owens was westbound on the interstate when he lost control of his 2001 Toyota Tundra. Owens, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected when his vehicle overturned entering the median.
The vehicle continued into the eastbound lane, striking a 2008 Honda CRV driven by Katherine Najar of Coahoma, the report stated. No injuries were reported from the occupants of Najar's vehicle.
Owens was taken to Scenic Mountain Medical Center, where he was declared dead at 5:38 p.m. His body was subsequently taken to Myers & Smith Funeral Home.
Weather conditions at the time of the accident were described as “snowy, icy and sleeting,” the report continued.
It was the second traffic fatality of the day, following the death of a Big Spring woman following an accident on State Highway 350 Tuesday morning.
Tammeye Atkinson, 59, of Big Spring was pronounced dead at the scene of a one-vehicle crash approximately a half-mile from the Big Spring city limits on State Highway 350 shortly after 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to Department of Public Safety Sgt. Thomas Moore.
“The trooper investigating the crash determined the cause was unsafe speed on an icy roadway,” said Moore. “The vehicle went into a side skid and slammed into a culvert and rolled a couple of times. She was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Moore said Atkinson, who was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt at the time of the wreck, was not wearing her seatbelt.
Big Spring Emergency Medical Service personnel responded to eight traffic accident calls Tuesday. Eight persons were transported to local hospitals with undisclosed injuries, while several other people refused medical treatment, reports stated.
Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at
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