Teacher killed after tree falls on van carrying her and six others, TN officials say
A 36-year-old teacher died Thursday when her vehicle was struck by a tree as severe weather ravaged the Southeast, city officials in Tennessee said.
Brooke Sampson was killed after the tree fell on a city van carrying her and six employees who work for the Public Works Department — including her husband, the City of Sevierville confirmed in a Facebook post. Four others were taken to the hospital.
“The City of Sevierville family asks that your thoughts and prayers be with Michael Sampson and his family, and the families of the injured employees,” the post states. “We respectfully ask for your understanding as we grieve as a city family during this difficult time.”
Sampson was a fourth-grade teacher at Sevierville Intermediate School, according to the school’s website. Officials said she previously worked part-time for the Public Works Department.
The group was returning from an American Public Works Association meeting around 12 p.m. when the tree fell, “causing extensive damage,” officials said.
“Rescuers had to extract some of the persons from the van,” the post states.
Sampson was pronounced dead at Blount Memorial Hospital. Bob Moncrief, Nathan Raulston, Joseph Dodgen and Eldon Denney were also taken to area hospitals. Their condition is not known.
Sevierville is about 25 miles from the North Carolina border. The city is under a flood warning with up to six inches of “excessive rainfall” predicted as more severe weather rolls into parts of Tennessee and the Carolinas.
