Josh Mefford Obituary, Death: TWRA: One dead, one injured in 200-foot fall at North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area
Josh Mefford Obituary, Death – A tragic crash in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (WMA) resulted in one death and one injury, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Authorities responded to the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning after receiving a 911 call from one of the people involved. The crash occurred near the Sand Mines section of the North Cumberland WMA, an area known for its rugged terrain.
The incident began the previous evening, when two men, Josh Mefford, 41, of LaFollette, and Rick Violes, 27, of Oneida, left a truck stop in LaFollette around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. They were operating a side-by-side vehicle, which they drove onto the North Cumberland WMA from Highway 63. Details of the events leading up to the crash are unclear, but investigators believe the two men drove off a 200-foot rock cliff at some point during the night.
Mefford, the operator of the vehicle, was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. He was ejected from the side-by-side and fell to his death. The impact of the fall and the vehicle’s trajectory led to Mefford’s fatal injuries. The passenger, Violes, was knocked unconscious from the crash and sustained serious injuries, but was alive when he regained consciousness around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Violes managed to contact authorities after coming to, alerting them to the crash site. Emergency response teams arrived at the scene shortly after, but the location of the crash posed significant challenges for rescue operations due to its remote nature. Despite these challenges, rescue squads were able to stabilize Violes, but they were unable to transport him immediately.
Due to the difficult terrain, Violes was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by a Tennessee National Guard helicopter at approximately 9:00 a.m. He was taken for further medical treatment, though details on his condition were not immediately available. Meanwhile, Mefford’s body was recovered from the crash site later that morning around 11:30 a.m.
The incident is still under investigation by the TWRA, which is trying to determine the exact circumstances that led to the crash. No further details about the cause of the crash or the condition of Violes have been released. The tragic event has drawn attention to the dangers of operating off-road vehicles in remote areas, especially when safety precautions such as seatbelt use are not followed.
