A Rogersville woman who died in a traffic accident Thursday morning in Athens was wearing her seat belt, an official said Friday.

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson told The News Courier 45-year-old Dawn Whitt Trousdale was belted into her Jeep Wrangler when her vehicle was struck from behind by a semitrailer hauling sod on U.S. 72 and Lucas Ferry Road. Both vehicles were eastbound on 72 just prior to the wreck, and witnesses said Trousdale’s Jeep was stopped at the intersection when she was struck.

On Thursday, Athens police were unsure whether Trousdale was wearing a seat belt. Further investigation determined she had been, Johnson said.

Although the crash triggered a fire in the back of the Jeep, it was not the cause of death. Trousdale died of blunt-force trauma, Limestone County Coroner Mike West said. The accident, reported at 8:07 a.m., occurred as Trousdale was headed to work in Huntsville. She was flown by MedFlight helicopter to Huntsville Hospital, where she died in the emergency room, West said.

The driver of the semi, Anthony Stewart of Town Creek, was treated at Athens-Limestone Hospital and released.

Johnson declined to say what might have caused Stewart to rear-end the Jeep.

“I expect we could be looking at mutable factors that contributed to the accident,” he said. “The investigation into the accident is ongoing, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the investigation at this point. I expect it will be a couple months or more before we have the investigation completed.”

Because the wreck involved a fatality, the case will be presented to a Limestone County grand jury. Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones presents evidence from all fatal wrecks that occur in the county to a grand jury to see if jurors find adequate evidence to charge someone with a crime.