Oak Ridge Today

Man arrested after chases, alleged carjacking, stolen truck in Anderson, Campbell

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Joshua Lee Styles

Joshua Lee Styles

A Rocky Top man who had been involved in two recent police pursuits in Anderson County, including one chase after an alleged carjacking from a family member on Friday, was arrested in Campbell County on Monday after a vehicle and foot chase involving a stolen pickup truck, authorities said.

Joshua Lee Styles, 25, of Ross Cemetery Road in Rocky Top, was arrested Monday, October 5, by Campbell County deputies after the pursuit of the stolen truck and on numerous warrants from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, ACSD Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

He said Styles was originally wanted for a state probation violation.

The two pursuits with Anderson County deputies had occurred during the past week. [Read more…]

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

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Anderson County Sheriff Patch

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. [Read more…]

Another convenience store door smashed by vehicle, this one in OS

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Lee's Food Mart and Jason Ross and Phil Brown on Oct. 4, 2015

Jason Ross, left, and Phil Brown of Allied Glass Co. in Knoxville repair a glass door smashed by a vehicle at Lee’s Food Mart in Oliver Springs early Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015. Police suspect the crash was intentional. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

OLIVER SPRINGS—Another convenience store was hit by a vehicle this weekend, this one in Oliver Springs, and police suspect it was intentional.

The crash, which was reported at about 2:08 a.m. Sunday, smashed a door at Lee’s Food Mart on East Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs, at the bottom of the hill coming into Oliver Springs from Oak Ridge.

That crash followed one at K&J Market at about 2 a.m. Saturday in west Oak Ridge. In that case, a small sport utility vehicle was captured on tape smashing the front door of the convenience store, but it’s not clear why, a business representative said Saturday morning.

The Oliver Springs Police Department said the alarm at Lee’s Food Mart went off after an SUV hit it early Sunday, and nothing was taken. The SUV fled toward Oliver Springs, OSPD Sergeant Kevin Armes said. [Read more…]

Fire destroys unoccupied home on Marlow Circle

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Marlow Circle Fire Oct. 2, 2015

A fire destroyed an unoccupied home on Marlow Circle on Friday night, Oct. 2, 2015. The Marlow and Oliver Springs fire departments both responded to fight the fire. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

A fire destroyed an unoccupied home on Marlow Circle on Friday night.

The fire was reported at 516 Marlow Circle at about 10 p.m. Friday.

The house was engulfed in flames when the first Marlow Fire Department units arrived, fire photographer Tom Scott said. Two Marlow Fire Department engines and a tanker responded and so did two Oliver Springs Fire Department engines and a rescue unit, which responded on a mutual aid call.

The house was close to the roadway, and at the height of the fire, the contents of a mailbox across Marlow Circle caught on fire, Scott said. [Read more…]

SUV smashes front door at convenience store; cause unknown

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K&J Market Door Damage on Oct. 2, 2015

A business representative said a small sport utility vehicle was captured on tape smashing the front door of a convenience store in west Oak Ridge early Saturday, but it’s not clear why. (Photo courtesy Kevin Rice/Tony Jarrett)

 

A small sport utility vehicle was captured on tape smashing the front door of a convenience store in west Oak Ridge early Saturday, but it’s not clear why, a business representative said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department received a call about the damaged door at K&J Market at about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Tony Jarrett, who is helping out at the relatively new store on Oak Ridge Turnpike, said the SUV appeared to have been parked in front of the door for about three minutes, facing toward it.

The truck backed up a bit and rammed the double doors, Jarrett said.

“It didn’t break on the first hit,” he said, and the SUV bounced back a bit. [Read more…]

No one in corner booth when truck crashes through restaurant wall

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Los Caballeros Truck Crash on Oct. 1, 2015

A silver Dodge pickup truck crashed into a corner of Los Caballeros Mexican Family Restaurant on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, but the cause wasn’t immediately clear. (Photo by Kevin Rice)

 

No one was in the corner booth and the restaurant hadn’t opened yet when a pickup truck crashed through a wall at Los Caballeros on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Thursday morning.

The driver of the silver Dodge pickup was taken to the hospital. The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear.

Authorities said the pickup truck also hit a parked Ford Mustang.

The crash was reported at about 10:50 a.m. Thursday.

The restaurant said it could open later today, depending upon what the health department says. [Read more…]

Police: Driver caught after fleeing from two-car crash on Waddell

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Waddell Circle Crash Car Sept. 30, 2015

Police say the driver of this white four-door car fled but was caught quickly after a two-vehicle crash on Waddell Circle late Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Police said the driver of a car that slammed into a parked pickup truck on Waddell Circle on Wednesday afternoon fled after the two-car crash but was caught quickly.

The crash was reported at about 4:50 p.m. at 161 Waddell Circle.

Chris Townsend, who lives on Waddell Circle, said he was walking upstairs when he heard the sirens. He was on his way to his sister’s house across the street.

He made it as far as his porch when he said he saw a white four-door car driving fast down the street. The car tried to make the righthand curve on the wet, narrow one-way residential street, but it wasn’t able to, Townsend said. [Read more…]

Female driver escapes car after it goes down embankment at Clinch River

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Car in Clinch River on Sept. 28, 2015

There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the driver reportedly escaped when this car went off Melton Lake Drive and down an embankment into the Clinch River on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the driver appeared to escape when a small car went off Melton Lake Drive and down an embankment at the Clinch River on Monday night.

The single-vehicle crash was reported at 10:47 p.m. Monday. The female driver was able to reportedly escape from the vehicle, which was said to be partially submerged.

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately available Monday night. [Read more…]

Trial for Corwin’s alleged killer to be moved

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Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee

Information from WYSH Radio

The trial for a former Marine accused of killing an Oak Ridge native who was living in California with her Marine husband is being moved.

Christopher Lee is charged with the 2014 murder of Erin Corwin.

Prosecutors say that after he killed her, Lee dumped Corwin’s body down an abandoned mine shaft in a remote section of the Joshua Tree National Park.

Authorities say the two had an affair while Corwin’s husband was based at Twentynine Palms, California. [Read more…]

Photos: Police Lives Matter rally

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Police Lives Matter Rally Crowd

About 65 people attended a Police Lives Matter rally at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A rally at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, September 19, showed support for police officers and first responders. It included music, prayer, several speakers, a reading of the names of fallen officers, a short march, and a candlelight vigil.

“I had this for support of our police officers, first responders, and all lives,” said Kevin Rice, one of the three organizers.

Here are pictures from the rally.

Police Lives Matter Candlelight Vigil

The Police Lives Matter rally included a candlelight vigil at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

[Read more…]

Police: Forty-nine grams of suspected heroin seized on West Outer after shooting, crash

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Chelsea Reign Lively

Chelsea Reign Lively

Note: This story was last updated at 3:44 p.m.

Police seized 49.2 grams of suspected heroin in a West Outer Drive home during a search after the shooting on Wakefield Road and three-car crash on North Illinois Avenue on Monday, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department has also made an arrest in the case. Chelsea Reign Lively, 22, was arrested Thursday, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. She was charged with possessing Schedule I (heroin) and Schedule VI (marijuana) drugs for sale.

Authorities said further charges against Lively are expected.

Police said Larry Dewayne Williams was identified as a person of interest in the shooting when he fled from the ORPD shortly after the shooting and allegedly caused a three-car crash at the intersection of North Illinois Avenue and West Outer Drive.

Officers—including members of the ORPD, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, the crime task force, and an ACSD K-9 unit—swarmed the area and searched for Williams. That led officers to a home at 612 West Outer Drive, where they said they executed a search warrant on Tuesday and recovered additional evidence. The house is the home of Lively and Williams, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

“The search warrant commanded that all controlled substances be seized as evidence,” said the warrants, filed by ORPD Detective Kevin Craig.
[Read more…]

Man convicted of possessing heroin for sale in school zone

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Charles Randolph Johnson

Charles Randolph Johnson

A man who came to Anderson County from the Detroit area has been convicted of possessing heroin and marijuana for sale in a school zone, and he faces 25 to 40 years in prison, authorities said Wednesday.

Charles Randolph Johnson was found guilty on Friday, September 18, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release. The jury deliberated for 1.5 hours before announcing their verdict after a trial that lasted 1.5 days.

Johnson has a separate November 10 trial for actually selling the heroin, Clark said in the press release. The DA said Johnson has been charged separately for allegedly selling heroin three times on Coconut Lane near Claxton Elementary School. He also has charges pending for allegedly coercing a witness, Clark said.

The DA said the potential 25- to 40-year sentence for the Friday convictions is based on Johnson’s prior felony record and because the jury found that the crime occurred within a school zone. But the specifics of the sentence will be determined by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge at the November 30 sentencing hearing, Clark said. [Read more…]