Update: Sequatchie County Crash

A car crash killing a Dunlap man and his grandson sends a strong message about rider safety.

It's a scene we see all too often; a crumpled engine, shattered glass and a deflated airbag.

Yesterday we spoke to Sequachie County Sheriff Ronnie Hitchcock about the aftermath of an accident that kills an old friend and his grandson.

"It's sad that he lost his life, its really sad when you look in the vehicle and you have a three year old that's been killed," says Hitchcock.

The Sheriff Hitchcock says what's worse is neither of them were wearing seatbelts.

Hitchcock says Wayne Seals headed home with his 3 year old grandson Randy Rothwell last night.

They were coming down Cagle Mountain behind a log truck when somehow the two collided.

To stay clear of traffic here on Highway 111, I pulled over about 100 feet away from where the crash happened. There in the South Bound Lanes you can see skid marks. Sheriff Hitchcock says they mark where the driver of the Ford Taurus slammed on the breaks before hitting the log truck.

The Sheriff says logs from the truck went into the front window all the way through the back of the car.

A car seat in the back is where he he says the little boy should have been, instead he and his grandfather were killed instantly sitting side by side.

"If he would have been in the car seat in the back seat, there is a possibility that he wouldn't have lost his life," says Hitchcock.

Investigators are still looking for clues as to what caused this car to crash but says, no matter what happened, there's a lesson here.

"Be sure that your children are in car seats buckled up. 03:17 in the correct position because this could happen to any of us," says Hitchcock.

Sheriff Hitchcock says Randy Lynn Rothwell would have turned 4 years old in December.

The driver of the log truck, Clifford Joe Bowman was not injured.