Timothy D. Preston
A 34-year-old Clinton man was charged with aggravated trespassing after allegedly driving through the east gate at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Thursday, crashing near a parking lot area, and then fleeing on foot into a heavily wooded area inside the nuclear weapons plant, authorities said.
The crash occurred at about 5:52 a.m. Thursday after a person, later identified as Timothy D. Preston, 34, of Clinton, drove through the east gate of Y-12 near Scarboro Road.
Y-12 security and Oak Ridge police officers responded immediately and established a containment area inside and outside the perimeter of the facility, a City of Oak Ridge press release said.
Preston was taken into custody at about 7:40 a.m. and transported to the Methodist Medical Center, where he was treated and released for minor injuries, the press release said. He was interviewed at the Oak Ridge Police Department and then transported to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, where he was charged with aggravated trespassing, trespassing by motor vehicle, felony vandalism, and driving on a revoked license (third offense).
More charges may be pending, based on statements made by Preston and more investigation, the release said. The incident briefly caused the closure of the Y-12 facility, which was re-opened after Preston was taken into custody.
Employees onsite during the incident were placed under curfew and not allowed to leave plant buildings until the curfew was lifted.
Federal officials said there was no risk to nuclear operations as a result of this incident. The investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time, the press release said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Mark Caldwell says
These Islamic terrorists are looking scarier and scarier by the day.
Tracy Stout Powers says
Some people clearly are too vacuous and clearly don’t pay attention to the many terrorist attacks and killings that have happened in the name of islam, not only in the US, but across the globe.
I suppose until it happens to them or THEIR loved ones, it’s all a big joke, thus it’s far too easy to make snarky comments.
Shame they only seem to target the good citizens and not the ones that have no respect for the loss of lives of innocent Americans and citizens of other countries. Perhaps the the odds will soon be such that they will hit the mark that thinks it’s comical.