News

West Henderson High graduate dies in car crash

By Bill Moss, Published: December 9, 2016

A 24-year-old graduate of West Henderson High School was killed in a traffic accident on Dec. 2 in Altus, Okla., where he was stationed with the U.S. Air Force.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Ian Phillips, 24, was partially ejected from his truck when, according to investigators, he failed to stop at a sign and struck a tractor-trailer rig near Elk City. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the medical examiner and transported to an Elk City funeral home, the Lawton Constitution reported.

Ian PhillipsPhillips was driving his Toyota pickup westbound on the asphalt and gravel surface of a rural road after 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, when he failed to stop at a stop sign, Trooper Chris Laufer said in a report. The pickup struck a Kenworth tractor-trailer rig traveling north on Oklahoma 30 on its passenger side, overturning the big truck and causing Phillips to drive off the roadway to the right and overturn, coming to rest on its driver's side and partially ejecting the young airman, the Oklahoma newspaper reported.

A passenger, Tyler Michael Coonce, 26, Perryton, Texas, was admitted to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City in stable condition with arm and internal trunk injuries, the report states. The tractor-trailer driver, Justin Daniel Raymer, 31, Spearman, Texas, was not injured, the report said.

Born Nov. 12, 1992, in Hendersonville to Gary and Denise Phillips, Phillips was a graduate of West Henderson High School and
the University of Maryland University College, where he studied Information Systems Management.

He recently became stationed at Altus Air Force Base in Altus, Okla., where he worked as a Client Systems Tech. His previous USAF base assignments included RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England and Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-
Palatinate, Germany where he met and married his loving wife, Lisa Marie Phillips, of Tulare, Calif., on Feb. 12.
Besides his wife and his parents, of Etowah, he is survived by his grandmother, Joan Phillips, of Etowah, sisters Lauren Phillips, of Asheville, and  April Creel, of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Ian was extremely blessed by family and friends who loved him dearly. His career in the United States Air Force provided him with life experiences beyond his dreams. His ever-present smile and terrific sense of humor made it obvious that he was a happy
young man. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He claimed Christ as his Savior and was growing in his faith. We know that Jesus is preparing a place for Ian, and we long for the day when we see him again, the family said in an obituary.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2301 Asheville Highway. Jackson Funeral Services is in charge of the arrangements.
The family expressed its sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this time. They continue to thank God for giving them His strength to endure.