Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Friday, April 10, 2009 4:12 pm

A mother and child were killed when their vehicle was struck at Sulphur Springs and Haynes Drive. TMC photo by Chad Mason

A mother and infant died on Sulphur Springs and Haynes Drive from tornadoes that whipped through Murfreesboro and Rutherford County this afternoon.

Kori Bryant, believed to be in her mid-20s and her 9-week-old daughter, Olivia died outside their home on Sulphur Springs. Her husband, John, suffered a collapsed lung.

Emergency Medical Services Supervisor Randy White said paramedics speculated Bryant was making her way to or from her car with Olivia in a baby carrier.

"Wind just blew her," White said. "Both were found under debris."

She was a part-time Murfreesboro Parks and Rec employee. She started as a cultural arts assistant in 2002. She taught art classes and helped with summer camps and theater programs. She also worked at Project Go as a program leader.

White said they transported 35 patients and seven of those were in critical condition.

American Red Cross is opening a shelter at New Vision Baptist Church, 1750 N. Thompson Lane.

Tornadoes raced through the Deerfield subdivision off Gresham Lane near Blackman, crossed Interstate 24, destroyed homes in West Park subdivision off Manson Pike and flattened homes in Regency Park.

The mother and infant were reportedly killed when the tornadic winds caught them in their vehicle right at their home.

Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans said he could not confirm any fatalities.

“This is still a search and rescue mission,” Evans said. “We’re still looking for debris. It’s so widespread throughout the city.”

He pleaded with people to stay at home.

“They’re clogging our streets and hampering our efforts,” Evans said.

Sheriff Truman Jones said the damage was widespread in Rutherford County.

“We do have major damage,” Jones said. “We haven’t been able to assess it all.”

Capt. Steve Spence said damage occurred on Manus Road, Patterson Road near Rockvale, Kingwood Lane and Overton Court, Vincent off Compton Road and Sanford Road.

Command posts were set up at Blackman Middle School and Walter Hill Elementary School.

The tornado destroyed the traffic light at Conference Drive at Medical Center Parkway. City crews will install a temporary light by Sunday.

Evans said he and Detective Chris Ashley were driving when the tornado picked up their vehicle and threw it about 30 feet.

“A big tree came in front of us,” Evans said. “We saw a tractor trailer toppling over. I’m not sure how we missed it.”

Emergency workers have gone house to house looking for victims, he said.

“Tomahawk Trace is gone,” Evans said.

La Vergne Police Chief Ted Boyd, who lives in the West Park subdivision, said his home sustained minor damage. Fellow Officer Konrad Kaul was not as lucky. His home was destroyed.

“It knocked me off my feet,” Boyd said. “It leveled a lot of houses.”

Several people in his neighborhood suffered injuries.

“They were hurt pretty badly,” Boyd said. “Some men had bad lacerations on their legs from flying debris. People in one house were “injured pretty badly.”

Photographer Steve Zavisa watched the funnel cloud when he ate lunch at Subway on Thompson Lane. It just missed his studio on Asbury Road.

He photographed damage to homes on Manson Pike and Gresham Park Drive across from The Avenue.

“This is a nightmare,” Zavisa said. “But Jesus, this makes me want to cry. What are these people going to do.”

When he drove by the subdivision, he saw a man lying in a field off Medical Center Parkway.

“His foot was shaking,” Zavisa recalled. “There was a blue SUV about 50 feet away. I don’t know if it threw him away.”

Several dogs roamed through the neighborhood as if searching for their home.

Keith Mack stopped by a friend’s destroyed home on Gresham Park Drive to see if he could salvage anything while they were being treated at the hospital.

He located a photograph of their daughter, Savannah, and three bears he planned to take to her and her sister at the hospital.

“I just thought it would make them feel better,” Mack said before he collapsed in tears.