The driver who died has been identified after a police pursuit and fatal crash in Anderson County on Sunday.
The identity of the driver and two other people injured in the two-vehicle crash were initially withheld after the crash at Mountain Road and Highway 441 at about 2 p.m. Sunday.
On Saturday, Dave Clark, district attorney general in the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County, said the medical examiner had completed the identification of the driver who died and notified family members.
The driver has been identified as Elijah Morley of Dandridge and the passenger who was injured in that vehicle was identified as Dustin Dienst of Morristown, Clark said.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who was injured in the crash was Austin Dean, Clark said.
The crash happened while the THP was pursuing the vehicle driven by Morley, Clark said Sunday.
The pursuit continued along several roads before the vehicle being chased and the THP cruiser left the roadway and crashed near the intersection of Mountain Road and Highway 441, Clark said.
The driver of the vehicle being chased (Morley) died, and the passenger in that vehicle (Dienst) was injured and was taken to a hospital, Clark said. The trooper (Dean) was also injured and was treated and released from a hospital, Clark said.
“The incident is under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the District Attorney General’s Office,” Clark said Sunday. “An accident reconstruction and an autopsy will be performed as part of the investigation.”
On Saturday, Clark said it could take several months to complete the investigation because investigators are waiting for a blood toxicology report, final autopsy report, and accident reconstruction report.
“A comprehensive public report will be released by this office as soon as possible following receipt of the investigative materials,” Clark said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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