LENOX, TN – A 60-year-old woman allegedly shot her sleeping husband and adult son at their Tennessee home early this week before driving the wrong way on a highway and intentionally colliding head-on with an 18-wheeler, killing herself in what authorities are calling an incredibly tragic incident.
Sherry Darlene Lydon shot William John Lydon Jr. in bed before turning the gun on their 24-year-old son, according to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office. Her husband died at the scene while their son was rushed to a hospital where he remains in critical condition.
After the shootings, Lydon got behind the wheel and drove onto Interstate 155, heading the wrong direction into oncoming traffic. She then slammed her vehicle head-on into a tractor-trailer. The impact killed her, though the truck driver escaped without injuries.
Sheriff Jeff Box said investigators have been examining Lydon’s medical history for possible contributing factors to the violence. Records indicate she had recently undergone surgery and suffered from severe night terrors, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in the weeks leading up to the attack.
“This situation has affected our community deeply,” Box said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lydon family during this difficult time.”
The Dyer County Criminal Investigation Division is processing evidence from both the home and the highway crash scene. Detectives are also interviewing witnesses and family members to piece together what triggered the deadly rampage.
Authorities confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public. The son’s condition remains critical but stable as of Friday, and medical staff are monitoring his recovery closely.
The investigation into the murder-suicide is expected to take several weeks as officials work to understand what drove a mother to attack her own family before taking her own life in such a violent manner.
