Killed in the 4:32 a.m. crash on U.S. Highway 411 were Stephen Boardman, 21, of Loudon, and Susan Meade, 17, of Lenoir City, said Vonore Police Chief Randy Kirkland. Three others were seriously injured, he said.
Kirkland said Boardman was driving a Honda Civic on State Route 72 when he pulled across U.S. 411 and into the path of an oncoming car. The impact occurred on the driver's side of the Honda, killing Boardman and Meade, who was sitting in the back seat behind Boardman.
Two passengers in the Civic, including Boardman's brother, were seriously injured. Nicholas Boardman, 19, also of Loudon, and Ben Davidson, age and address unavailable, were transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately available this morning.
Jimmy Samples, 58, of Madisonille, was driving the oncoming car that struck the Boardman vehicle, Kirkland said. Samples, who was on his way to work in Alcoa, also was taken to the UT Medical Center. His condition also was not immediately available.
"We're not absolutely sure what happened, but it appears the vehicle with the four people pulled out in front of Mr. Sample's vehicle," Kirkland said.
The chief said he was unsure of seat belt usage among the crash victims.
"It was a bad one," Kirkland said of the crash. "Its the worst one I've ever seen."