Information from WYSH Radio
More information is now available about Friday’s fatal accident on Highway 61 at the on-ramp to I-75 North in Clinton.
The wreck occurred at about 7:06 a.m. Friday, and it killed Christopher Strunk, 32, of Oneida. The Clinton Police Department reported that Strunk was a passenger in a Honda Civic driven by Shawn Wright, 26, of Pioneer.
The accident happened when a car driven by David Kittrell of Mississippi was in the left lane near the on-ramp and Wright’s car pulled into his path while trying to get on to the interstate. Kittrell’s car “T-boned” Wright’s car and both vehicles spun around before coming to rest against a guard rail. Strunk, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services personnel, and Wright suffered injuries that sent him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by ambulance.
An accident report indicated that Wright might have been under the influence of alcohol. Blood tests were ordered, and the results are pending.
Kittrell and his wife Hazel were taken by ambulance to UT Medical Center for treatment of possible injuries.
According to witness statements, the traffic light for Wright’s car was red. The witness reported that it appeared that Wright had initially waited before disregarding the light and turned left into the path of Kittrell’s pickup truck.
Conditions were described as extremely foggy at the time of the crash. WYSH will update this story if any charges are filed in connection to Friday’s accident.
Information in this story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.
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