A Cookeville woman was killed and four other persons injured in a traffic crash on Pippin Road Sunday, August 12, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Killed was Patsy B. Cronk, 67, of Cumby Road.

Injured were the following: Anthony Santos II, 40, of Bourbon Drive, Cookeville, and three children riding with him, a girl, 10, a girl, 12, and a boy, 4.

The head-on collision happened at 5:14 p.m. Sunday, says a report by State Trooper Chris Adams.

Patsy B. Cronk, well known here from her work in offices at the Putnam Courthouse for several years, was on her way to attend church services at Locust Grove Church of Christ and was headed east on Pippin Road, driving her 2006 Toyota SUV.

Anthony Santos II was headed west on Pippin Road, driving a 2005 Nissan Altima with three children riding with him.

Santos’ vehicle crossed the highway’s center line and hit Cronk’s vehicle head-on in the driver’s side, the trooper’s report says.

No one in either vehicle was using a seatbelt, and in the opinion of the trooper, use of safety belts might have made a difference in the outcome of the wreck.

Reportedly, Cronk was killed instantly.

Santos and the three children were taken by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center, and one of the children was then airlifted to a hospital in another city.

The official THP report gives no further details of the accident, but notes that drug and alcohol tests were ordered and that the investigation is continuing.

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Three men are facing serious charges in connection with a home invasion type burglary in the early morning hours of Friday, August 10.

Putnam Sheriff’s deputies just happened to be at a nearby scene working a complaint call about a loud party and underage drinking when they witnessed another incident, unrelated to the first call, and ended up arrested three on burglary and other charges.

* Charles Jimaine Carr, 30, of Hargis Drive, Cookeville, is charged with aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, evading arrest, and theft of property.

* Cornelius Cortes Williams, 26, of S. Jefferson Ave., Cookeville, is charged with aggravated burglary and evading arrest.

* Eric Nathaniel Cullom, 30, of Robinson Road, Cookeville, is charged with aggravated burglary and resisting arrest.

A report by Deputy Trevor Barrett says that he and other deputies were at Soard Apartments on Hilham Highway about 1:40 a.m. Friday working a loud party complaint call in which several minors were being arrested for underage drinking.

The deputies had to chase down some of the suspects in the case, and as they were loading them up for transport to the jail, they heard a scream coming from another residence.

“I heard screams coming from behind me and I ran around the corner with Deputy Cpl. Tony Branch and Deputy Joe Davis behind me,” Barrett’s report says.

“I saw a large black male subject with a black shirt later identified as Charles Jimaine Carr with both of his hands around a smaller non-caucasion male subject,” the deputy said.

“There were two other black male subjects also on the front porch of the far corner unit beating on the victim.”

Deputy Barrett pointed his flashlight at the group and ordered them to stop.

“The victim was still attempting to scream, but he was making another sound, as if he was gasping for air to scream louder and saying help.”

Two of the three alleged attackers took off running, but the deputies caught them and arrested them. One suspect allegedly barricaded himself inside the victim’s residence, but was arrested by Deputy Barrett.

Allegedly, the three had gone to the victim’s residence, knocked at the door, and when the victim opened the door, forced their way in and assaulted one resident inside the place and the other outside the place, the warrant says.

Allegedly, they stole property belonging to the residents, including a $700 cell phone.

Bond for Williams was set at $35,000, for Cullom at $31,500, and for Carr at $57,000. They have a September 10 court date.