• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




Two-county car chase ends in crash that injures four in Knox

Posted at 8:42 pm May 25, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey in 2014 (Source: Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

A two-county car chase that started in Anderson County before being terminated by deputies Wednesday afternoon ended with a two-vehicle crash in Knox County that injured four people, authorities said.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies were looking for Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, 26, around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Claxton area for several outstanding warrants, Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. He said Coffey was spotted in a maroon Chevrolet Impala on Edgemoor Road.

“As deputies started to make a vehicle stop on Coffey, he began fleeing toward Clinton Highway on Edgemoor Road,” Lucas said. “Deputies began a pursuit that crossed Clinton Highway onto Raccoon Valley Road and into Knox County. Deputies lost sight of the vehicle as it went under the railroad trestle on Raccoon Valley Road in Heiskell.”

Witnesses pointed out that the vehicle turned southbound onto Heiskell Road toward Powell, Lucas said. But deputies were unable to locate the vehicle and terminated their pursuit.

“We notified both Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol of the pursuit, vehicle information, and that Coffey was wanted on outstanding warrants,” Lucas said. “Around five minutes later, we were notified by Knox County the vehicle had been involved in a crash on Central Avenue Pike at Callahan Road (in north Knox County).”

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said Coffey was fleeing from Anderson County deputies in the 2007 Chevy Impala when he almost struck an officer with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in his cruiser around 2:30 p.m. on Heiskell Road.

The officer turned the cruiser around to pursue Coffey, but found the Impala had crashed into a 2007 white Ford F150 on Central Avenue Pike at Callahan Drive, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

Coffey and his passenger, as well as the driver of the Ford and his passenger, were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with what were described as incapacitating injuries, authorities said.

“Not only was Coffey wanted out of Anderson County, but he also had outstanding warrants in Knox County that include evading arrest; unlawful to refuse inspection and count of any wildlife taken; wildlife resources agency violation; license or permit required for hunting, fishing, and trapping; and criminal impersonation,” the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. “He has a criminal history in Knox County that includes multiple traffic offenses.

“It is unknown at this time whether or not those involved were wearing seat belts,” the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. “Drugs and alcohol are not thought to be factors in the crash. Charges against Coffey are pending. More details will be released as they develop.”

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said most of Coffey’s previous arrests have been by the Oak Ridge Police Department and the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force.

“Our warrants are out of Criminal Court for failing to report on felony drug charges and violation of community corrections,” Lucas said. “Oak Ridge Police Department has a felony drug warrant and Oliver Springs Police Department has a failure to appear as well.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Callahan Road, Central Avenue Pike, crash, Heiskell Road, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Lucas, Oak Ridge Police Department, police chase, Raccoon Valley Road, Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Tennessee Highway Patrol

Advertisements

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Police and Fire News

One person flown to hospital, in critical condition after rollover crash

The Oak Ridge Police Department was investigating a serious rollover crash on Laboratory Road near the exit from Home Depot on Tuesday evening, April 13, 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today) Note: This story … [Read More...]

Man wanted in Ohio hides in Oak Ridge church, but K-9 finds him

Casey J. Jones A man who was wanted by law enforcement officers in Ohio fled and hid in an Oak Ridge church after a traffic stop Sunday morning, but an Anderson County K-9 unit found him hiding in a bathroom closet … [Read More...]

Governor authorizes $10,000 reward in Thomas Thrasher death investigation

The Oak Ridge Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the death of a 29-year-old man found dead in a second-floor apartment at this Rolling Hills Apartments building in Oak Ridge on Monday, … [Read More...]

first-united-methodist-church-of-oak-ridge-jan-2017

Man pursued by police runs into church, taken into custody

A man pursued by police ran into First United Methodist Church between services in Oak Ridge on Sunday morning, canceling services, according to witnesses and the church. The man was later caught, and no one was injured, … [Read More...]

Tennessee Highway Patrol State Trooper Logo

THP report: Child hit by pickup walked into travel lane

Note: This story was updated at 2:55 p.m. The seven-year-old girl hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening had been in the turn lane with two other pedestrians before walking into the eastbound lane of Edgemoor Road and … [Read More...]

More Police and Fire

Recent Posts

  • Virtual talks on Weinberg and his archived papers on Apr. 20
  • ORAU receives new work from CDC Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to support COVID-19 communications efforts
  • One person flown to hospital, in critical condition after rollover crash
  • ASAP has Virtual Information and Resource Fair
  • Man wanted in Ohio hides in Oak Ridge church, but K-9 finds him
  • Governor authorizes $10,000 reward in Thomas Thrasher death investigation
  • Man pursued by police runs into church, taken into custody
  • Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center
  • Public Notice: Final environmental assessment available for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12
  • THP report: Child hit by pickup walked into travel lane

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today