ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190113
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN SNIDER
Smyth County authorities are looking for a 30-year-old county man who has been missing since walking away from a car accident Friday.
Donald Ray Billings, who goes by Donnie, crashed his car on U.S. 16 near Hungry Mother Grocery about 5 p.m. Friday. He got out of the car, which belonged to a sister, and told a man at the scene he was all right. He did not appear to be injured, the witness told the sheriff's office.
Billings started walking down the road toward Mitchell Valley and has not been seen or heard from since.
Sgt. Ronnie McKinnon of the sheriff's office said the search was intensified Monday when Billings didn't show up at Natalie Knitting Mills, where he is a knitter.
A state police helicopter has flown over the area near the accident scene, including the nearby Hungry Mother State Park, and others have searched on foot, but so far they have not found anything, McKinnon said.
Billings' cousin, Catherine Livesay of Salem, said the family cannot figure out why he hasn't contacted them if he's all right.
He is engaged to be married in the spring and lives with his mother, Livesay said.
Billings is about 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 150 to 160 pounds, and has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing blue jeans and a light-colored T-shirt Friday.
Anyone with information about Billings is asked to call the sheriff's office at (540)783-7204.
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Billingsby CNB