Oak Ridge Today

County sees increase in infant deaths due to unsafe sleeping practices

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Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan (center), chief medical examiner for Knox and Anderson Counties, speaks about a concerning increase in infant mortality rates in Anderson County on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, as (from left) County Mayor Terry Frank, Regional Forensic Center Chief Administrative Officer Chris Thomas, Anderson County EMS Deputy Director of Education Bobbi Jo Henderson, and EMS Director Nathan Sweet look on. (Photo courtesy Anderson County government)

Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, County Mayor Terry Frank, and the chief medical examiner for both Knox and Anderson Counties are all urging the community—particularly parents and grandparents of children younger than 12 months old—to practice proper “safe sleeping.”

The caution from local officials comes as a result of a rising trend of infant mortality rates in Anderson County, a press release said. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center tracks information related to deaths in 21 counties.

“Since 2019, we have done 185 autopsies on infants under one year (of age). One hundred of those infants died as a result of unsafe sleep environments,” said Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, chief medical examiner, during a press conference held Wednesday morning at Anderson County EMS headquarters in Clinton.

In Anderson County, data shows that 14 infant deaths have been recorded since 2019 with 10 of those deaths having been attributed to unsafe sleep practices.

[Read more…]

Ohio woman dies in I-75 crash

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An Ohio woman died after her vehicle ran off the roadway, went airborne, and crashed into the median on Interstate 75 in Anderson County on Friday morning.

The driver who died was Sherry Driggers, 67, of Hamilton, Ohio, according to a preliminary crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The one-vehicle fatal crash occurred at about 9:53 a.m. Friday at mile marker 126 north of the Norris exit.

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AC EMS responds to suspected COVID-19 cases, call volume drops

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Photo courtesy Anderson County EMS

As of Tuesday, Anderson County Emergency Medical Services had responded to more than 40 suspected COVID-19 calls since mid-March, Director Nathan Sweet said last week.

As of Tuesday, only one patient transported by Anderson County EMS had tested positive for COVID-19, Sweet said.

The suspected COVID-19 calls have come from across Anderson County: Oak Ridge, Norris, Clinton, Rocky Top, Marlow, Medford—”really just about anywhere in the county,” Sweet said.

The suspected COVID-19 calls are being screened by 911 emergency call centers in Anderson County, Clinton, and Oak Ridge to better prepare emergency responders before they arrive at the call site.

“If they meet any of the screening criteria, our crews are responding in appropriate personal protective equipment as a precaution for safety,” Sweet said.

[Read more…]

NTSB investigating fatal aircraft crash

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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the fatal crash of a small aircraft near Oliver Springs Airport on Saturday.

The crash of the experimental light sport aircraft was reported at about 5:18 p.m. Saturday near Smith Road. That’s just east of the airport and on the other side of a tree line, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department report.

The Quicksilver MXII had crashed into a field, and its nose was down into the ground, ACSD Sergeant Kenneth L. Bradley wrote in the report.

The pilot who died has been identified as Patrick Lucas, 45, of Morristown. He appeared to be the only occupant of the aircraft, the report said.

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Family escapes after kitchen fire spreads to attic

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An Oak Ridge family, including two children, were able to escape safely when a kitchen fire spread to an attic on Bunker Lane on Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2019, firefighters said. (Photo by Tom Scott/Oak Ridge Fire Department)

An Oak Ridge family, including two children, were able to escape safely when a kitchen fire spread to an attic on Bunker Lane on Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2019, firefighters said. (Photo by Tom Scott/Oak Ridge Fire Department)

 

An Oak Ridge family, including two children, were able to escape safely when a kitchen fire spread to an attic on Bunker Lane on Wednesday, firefighters said.

The fire was reported just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2.

The residents said they were cooking on the stove when a pan of grease caught fire, the Oak Ridge Fire Department said. The residents were able to slow the spread of the fire with an extinguisher, but flames quickly extended through the stove hood and into the attic, the ORFD said. [Read more…]

Updated: Woman charged with homicide in child’s death after crash

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Fatal-Crash-Memorial-Lafayette-Drive-Emory-Valley-Road-Jan-15-2017-Slider

Oak Ridge Police Department officers started a memorial with stuffed animals for a child killed in a fatal two-vehicle crash at Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive on Friday evening, Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 7 p.m.

A second person has been charged with homicide in the death of a young boy in a traffic crash in Oak Ridge in January 2017.

Jason Robert Braden III, 3, died in the two-vehicle crash, which injured at least three other people and was considered a mass casualty event. It was reported at about 5:20 p.m. Friday, January 13, 2017, at the intersection of Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive.

In March 2018, Oak Ridge Today reported that an Anderson County man, Jason Robert Braden II, 25, had been charged, after the crash, in an 11-count indictment that included vehicular homicide by intoxication. The other charges against Braden included vehicular homicide by recklessness, four counts of reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon (a motor vehicle) is involved, driving under the influence, driving without a license, speeding, and violation of the child restraint law.

That case is still pending in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. The homicide and assault charges are felonies, while the driving offenses are misdemeanors.

The second person, Ashley Marie Ann Braden, 23, was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton on December 4. She was charged with a single felony count of criminally negligent homicide. The indictment alleged that Braden engaged in criminally negligent conduct that resulted in the death of Jason Robert Braden III. The indictment does not elaborate on the alleged facts of the case, which is typical for indictments. [Read more…]

Man dies in police shooting after striking officer with vehicle

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Police are investigating after a chase was reported along Emory Valley Road and there were reports of shots fired on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018. The parking lot at Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road is blocked off with yellow tape, and there is a large emergency response presence that includes members of the Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and District Attorney General Dave Clark, right. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A man who struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a vehicle died when at least one officer shot at him in the parking lot of Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018, authorities said. The vehicle that struck an officer and was shot into is facing toward the camera at top right-center between an Oak Ridge Police Department SUV and an Oak Ridge Transit bus. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m. Oct. 9.

A man who struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a vehicle died when at least one officer shot at him in a courthouse parking lot on Monday evening, authorities said.

The police pursuit and shooting started in a residential area along Emory Valley Road and ended at Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. It was reported at about 6:30 p.m. Monday.

The Oak Ridge Police Department had recognized a man in a vehicle who had outstanding warrants on Cumberland View Drive in east Oak Ridge and tried to make a traffic stop, said Leslie Earhart, public information officer for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The man reportedly had warrants for domestic assault and aggravated burglary. [Read more…]

Anderson County EMS, ‘Ambus’ respond to help with hurricane in South Carolina

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Anderson County EMS and Knoxville Fire Department representing State of Tennessee EMS (Emergency Management Services) Region 2 and headed to Charleston, S.C., on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, to help with Hurricane Florence. Pictured above Scott Prosise and Bobbi Jo Henderson of Anderson County EMS, and Brian Buchanan of KFD. (Photo by Anderson County EMS)

Anderson County EMS and Knoxville Fire Department representing State of Tennessee EMS Region 2 and headed to Charleston, S.C., on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, to help with Hurricane Florence. Pictured above are Scott Prosise and Bobbi Jo Henderson of Anderson County EMS, and Brian Buchanan of KFD. (Photo by Anderson County EMS)

 

Anderson County Emergency Medical Services has responded to a deployment request from the state of South Carolina to aid in evacuations ahead of the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Florence.

Anderson County EMS is part of the Region II EMS Directors Association, which is comprised of 30 ambulance, fire, rescue, aeromedical, and hospital agencies located in 16 counties throughout East Tennessee.

The Anderson County team responded to South Carolina’s call for help with the “Ambus,” a regional asset from Region II EMS Directors Association, that is housed, maintained, and operated by Anderson County EMS, a press release said.

The Ambus is designed to accommodate 20 or more low-acuity patients from one location, the press release said. It is not designed for the most critical patients, although the unit can adapt to any situation that is encountered. The transport kit was provided by the state and installed into a school bus donated by Morgan County Schools. [Read more…]

Rope rescue used to remove injured Jeep driver from steep hill

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A rope rescue system was used to help remove an injured Jeep driver who had driven over a steep hill near Edgemoor Road in east Oak Ridge at about 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, authorities said. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Fire Department)

A rope rescue system was used to help remove an injured Jeep driver who had driven over a steep hill near Edgemoor Road in east Oak Ridge at about 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, authorities said. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Fire Department)

 

A rope rescue system was used to help remove an injured Jeep driver who had driven over a steep hill in east Oak Ridge on Sunday, authorities said.

Oak Ridge 911 dispatchers received a call at about 7 p.m. Sunday that a 4×4 that had driven over a steep hill near Edgemoor Road. The Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, and Anderson County Emergency Medical Services responded. When crews arrived, they found a Jeep that was occupied by two adults and two dogs about 50 feet down a steep grade, the Oak Ridge Fire Department said. [Read more…]

One person dies in crash on Melton Lake Drive

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One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday night, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

One person died in a head-on collision on Melton Lake Drive on Sunday night, authorities said.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 11:23 p.m. Sunday just south of the tower at the Oak Ridge rowing course finish line. It involved a sport utility vehicle and a Comcast utility bucket truck.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but it appears that the SUV crossed the center line, striking the Comcast truck head-on, according to Oak Ridge Police Department Sergeant Jeremy Huddleston.

Authorities reported that a female driver died in the crash. Huddleston said the other driver was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and released. [Read more…]

Commission asks for citizen input on Anderson County EMS on Thursday

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The Anderson County Commission, which is pictured above on March 20, 2018, unanimously censured Anderson County Circuit Clerk William Jones on Feb. 20, and asked him to resign after sexual harassment allegations were reported. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Anderson County Commission is pictured above on March 20, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Anderson County Commission is asking for citizen input on Anderson County EMS (emergency medical services) on Thursday.

The meeting is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, at 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

“The purpose of this meeting is for input from citizens regarding emergency medical services,” a meeting notice said. [Read more…]

Driver seriously injured in crash with train

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A 22-year-old driver was seriously injured in a crash with a train in Anderson County on Saturday, authorities said.

The driver has been identified as Benjamin Sharp. After the crash, he was taken by an Anderson County EMS ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville with what were reported to be life-threatening injuries. Information on his current condition wasn’t immediately available Monday afternoon.

The crash was reported at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday on Patterson Lane off Old Lake City Highway.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Sharp was trying to cross the railroad tracks to a home off Old Lake City Highway when the 2009 Jeep Commander he was driving was hit by the train. [Read more…]