Report: Man pushes sister out of car, drives off in alleged carjacking

A Rocky Top man pushed and kicked his sister out of the driver’s seat of a car during an attempted traffic stop on Oliver Springs Highway on Friday, and the man drove off, tires spinning, in an alleged carjacking, leaving his sister lying on the ground about one foot from the vehicle, authorities said.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Matthew T. Forsyth said he tried to stop the Lexus four-door sedan at about 3:50 p.m. on Tri County Boulevard on Friday, October 2, because the reverse lights were activating when the vehicle was moving forward. When he caught up to the car, Forsyth said, he recognized the front seat passenger as Joshua Lee Styles, 24, who has several warrants for his arrest in Anderson County.

“When the vehicle pulled into the turning lane to turn onto Oliver Springs Highway, I pulled up to the passenger side of the vehicle and activated emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop,” Forsyth said in an incident report.

He said the vehicle continued onto Oliver Springs Highway and stopped on the right side of the road. Forsyth got out of his car with his K-9 officer.

“At this time, I witnessed Joshua Styles pushing and kicking the victim out of the driver’s seat until she was lying on the ground outside the driver’s side of the vehicle,” Forsyth said. “I ordered Joshua Styles to exit the vehicle, but he drove off spinning the tires in an erratic behavior. The victim was within one foot of the vehicle along with deputies when Joshua Styles sped away in it. The vehicle would have struck the victim if she had not moved.”

The car belongs to the victim, Kristy Herron of Oliver Springs, who was driving it before Joshua Styles, her brother, pushed her out, Forsyth said.

Herron said Styles told her to run from Forsyth when the deputy tried to make the traffic stop, but Herron refused and pulled over.

“At this time, the victim (Herron) stated that Joshua Styles began kicking and pushing her out of the vehicle,” Forsyth said.

He said Styles has a suspended driver’s license, and he has two prior convictions for driving on a suspended license.

The report said Herron had possible internal injuries.

Since then, Herron has reported on Facebook that the car has been located.

Forsyth’s report lists charges against Styles as carjacking, robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and domestic assault.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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