Headlines
Oxford Man Dies in Crash
An Oxford man, whose family was featured in HottyToddy.com just weeks ago, died Oct. 8 after crashing into the back of a logging truck at 7:20 a.m. on Highway 6 near the Pontotoc County line.
Carl Lockhart was driving his 2013 Dodge Charger Eastbound when the truck apparently entered the highway via an entry ramp. The Charger was trapped under the truck and bystanders succeeded in pulling Lockhart from his car before the vehicle and logs from the truck caught fire.
One of those bystanders Kristie Inmon said she stopped her car on her way to work as a registered nurse in Batesville when she saw the accident. “After slamming my brakes, stopping and crossing the median, I saw two men pulling him from his car. I saw immediately the man had severe injuries,” she said. “I knew his injuries were life threatening, but all I could do as a nurse with the other people who stopped was try my best to help him.”
According to Corp. Joe Miller of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, paramedics who arrived on the scene were unable to save Lockhart who was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital. The truck driver was transported to Baptist Memorial but was not injured in the incident. Miller says Lafayette County emergency vehicles were among several agencies that responded to the scene.
“We’re reconstructing the accident scene but at this time no charges are anticipated,” Miller said.
HottyToddy.com editor in chief Emily Gatlin arrived on the accident scene just as the vehicles caught fire. “There was black smoke and people all over, on both sides of the highway,” she said. “I could see that it was a terrible situation, and after composing myself all I could do was pray.”
Gatlin recalls the HottyToddy.com story about the Lockhart family’s special celebration of son Jake’s 12th birthday at their Highlands development home. Jake’s loving parents constructed a miniature football field for the event. They cashed in a St. John’s Catholic Church drawing prize to have the Rebelettes on hand for the celebration.
“The story ran the day I interviewed for my present job,” Gatlin explained. ‘This morning one of the first responders called saying that she Googled Carl Lockhart’s name and found him in the HottyToddy.com story we ran on Sept. 10.”
Gatlin added that the website will update readers on how they can continue to support the Lockhart family.
—Andy Knef, Managing Editor, HottyToddy.com
—You can email Andy at andy.knef@hottytoddy.com
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Johnathan Doeman
October 8, 2013 at 5:19 pm
First, sincere condolences to the family of Carl Lockhart. I can’t imagine what they’re going through now.
Beyond that, however, I can’t imagine what the writer and editors for this story were thinking as they wrote this. I hope to God that if I die, the last quote in a story about my death has at least an ounce of compassion, as opposed to somehow tying it back to the editor of the publication announcing my death. What does Emily Gatlin’s job interview have to do with the life Carl Lockhart led? And why on Earth is a journalist on the scene of an accident being quoted for the story?
There are cases when a journalist, newspaper, or website can become the news. It most certainly, however, isn’t while responding to police scanner traffic about a car wreck. Utterly shameful.
Andy Knef
October 9, 2013 at 10:51 am
Thank you Mr. Doeman for your input and we appreciate your point on a news agency putting itself too actively into a breaking story. In this case we learned about the story when our Editor In Chief Emily Gatlin arrived at work and told us about the terrible accident she had witnessed. Emily was clearly traumatized by the event and was never under consideration to write the story herself.
Our staff immediately began our normal news gathering process, contacting law enforcement agencies to ensure we got the facts straight.
We had access to two eyewitnesses to the event, one of whom was Emily. We thought her insight was relevant to the story.
As for the mention of HottyToddy.com’s previous story on the Lockhart family, we felt this relationship with our organization and it’s readers was also relevant. Our intent, as was portrayed in the prior story, was to communicate the Lockhart’s loving relationship with their children and their status as a very close family. Again I think this gives some limited insight into the fine man Carl Lockhart was.
As stated in our story, we plan to let readers know how they may be able to support the Lockhart family in the future after this horrible event. Again, thanks for your comment and we invite you to return to HottyToddy.com for comprehensive news and entertainment coverage.
Best Regards
Andy Knef, Managing Editor
Stacey Berryhill
October 11, 2014 at 4:05 pm
I have benn searching for my cousin off & on for a while now. I just looked him up again today & I have come to find out that he past. I hate this terribly.
I remember him & his brother when we were kids. One of them brought out a rubber snake, I thought it was real. I kinda “killed” the rubber snake. 🙂
I want to wish his wife & kids my condolences. I know it’s kinda late, but this is the first I have heard of it. I am sooo sorry. 🙁
I miss him, I was wanting his ph # & address to be able to call & visit. Meet the family & catch up, so to speak.
If you would like to contact me, you may, I would love to hear from you. :/ 🙂