5-year old boy killed in UTV accident

A 5-year old boy is dead after a four-wheeler accident in the Shelton Laurel community.

Madison 911 received a call about a utility terrain vehicle rollover just after 6 p.m. Thursday night, Sept. 14, according to Madison County Emergency Services Director Teresa Ogle. Dispatchers sent the Laurel Fire Department, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and ambulance teams from Marshall to the scene off N.C. 212, Ogle said.

The Laurel Fire Department arrived first, about five minutes after receiving the call, according to departmental Chief Emerson Franklin, who lives a mile away from the site of the accident. Family members were administering CPR when firefighters arrived, Franklin said, adding that department officials continued to administer mouth-to-mouth.

"You've got to have an active pulse before they can fly," Franklin said when asked if air ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene. "We didn't have an active one."

The child, who Franklin said was about to turn six years old, was taken to Mission Hospital. Though paramedics performed CPR on the nearly hour-long trip, the boy never regained a pulse, Franklin said.

"Days like this are hard," Franklin said. "It makes it hard on everybody when it's a kid. When the Lord says it's time to go, it's time to go. It's not a great day. He was a fine little fellah."

Authorities identified the boy as Cody Landers of Greeneville, Tennessee. He was a member of Cedar Creek Presbyterian Church and a kindergarten student at Nolachuckey School. Funeral arrangements and internment were planned for Sept. 19-20.