TYLER – A two vehicle accident in Tyler shortly after 1:15 Thursday afternoon killed one person and one injured. The accident happened in the 7600 block of S. Broadway at the intersection of Heritage.
According to police spokesman Don Martin, a Tyler officer clocked a Dark Green, Nissan Sentra, traveling north bound on South Broadway at a high rate of speed. The officer pulled out and attempted to catch up with the speeding vehicle. The officer observed the Nissan passing other vehicles on the right shoulder near the intersection of South Broadway and Cumberland. The Nissan continued to travel northbound and the officer determined that he would not be able to catch it and halted the pursuit.
The Nissan continued North to the intersection of Heritage and South Broadway where it crashed into the rear of a white, Toyota Camry that was sitting in the outside traffic lane, waiting for the light to change at Heritage. The driver of the Toyota was dead in the over turned vehicle when emergency personnel arrived on the scene. The driver was a Robert Dane Bass, 55, from Plano.
The driver of the Nissan was identified as Jerdene Boyd, 50, of Tyler. Officers observed signs of alcohol in connection with the driver. She was taken to East Texas Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Boyd was arrested for possession of marijuana and an out-standing warrant out of Smith County. She also is facing charges in the accident after completion of the investigation. Boyd is currently free on bond.















TYLER — Staff members from the office of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, recently presented several WWII military service medals to Mrs. Billie Bob Hickman, wife of the late Charles “Hick” Hickman, who passed away before receiving the medals he was authorized to receive. After being contacted by Hickman’s son-in-law, Enoch Freeman, earlier this year, Sen. Cornyn worked to secure Hickman’s overdue medals, including the Bronze Star, WWII Victory Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. Sen. Cornyn’s staff delivered the medals to Mrs. Hickman’s Tyler home and hosted a ceremony during which Hickman’s grandson, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Freeman, presented the medals to his grandmother. Freeman currently serves in Iraq with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division — the same unit his grandfather served in during WWII.


