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Man sentenced to one year, 9 months for fatal hit-and-run 

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Dannon Cole pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving a death or injury in Anderson County Criminal Court on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022.

Note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Dec. 13.

CLINTON—A 51-year-old man was sentenced to one year and nine months when pleading guilty Monday to a fatal hit-and-run crash between a pickup truck and motorized bicycle in Clinton about one year ago.

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Man charged with vehicular homicide after fatal hit-and-run

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Dannon Ray Cole, 50, Clinton, has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man, Jordan Pitts, riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue (Clinton Highway) early Saturday, November 20, and then fled. (Photo courtesy Clinton Police Department)

 

A 50-year-old Clinton man has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue early Saturday, November 20, and then fled.

No one witnessed the fatal hit-and-run crash between the pickup truck allegedly driven by Dannon Ray Cole, 50, and the motorized bicycle carrying Jordan Pitts, 39, and the Clinton Police Department did not immediately have a suspect vehicle. The 3:30 a.m. crash near Portwood Road, a short drive from downtown Clinton on Clinton Highway, killed Pitts.

The person who called 911 found Pitts in the road, the CPD said. Pitts died later.

But when investigators responded, they found evidence at the crash site that helped them identify the hit-and-run vehicle, according to Anderson County court records. The evidence included vehicle parts: a portion of a front grill and red markings including the letter “G” and half of the letter “M”.

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Dannon Ray Cole, 50, Clinton, has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man, Jordan Pitts, riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue (Clinton Highway) early Saturday, November 20, and then fled. (Photo courtesy Clinton Police Department)

Note: This story was updated at 9:20 a.m. Nov. 30.

A 50-year-old Clinton man has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue with a pickup truck early Saturday, November 20, and then fled.

Dannon Ray Cole, 50, Clinton, has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man, Jordan Pitts, riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue (Clinton Highway) early Saturday, November 20, and then fled. (Photo courtesy Clinton Police Department)

 

A 50-year-old Clinton man has been found, arrested, and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after he allegedly hit a 39-year-old man riding a motorized bicycle on Clinch Avenue early Saturday, November 20, and then fled.

No one witnessed the fatal hit-and-run crash between the pickup truck allegedly driven by Dannon Ray Cole, 50, and the motorized bicycle carrying Jordan Pitts, 39, and the Clinton Police Department did not immediately have a suspect vehicle. The 3:30 a.m. crash near Portwood Road, a short drive from downtown Clinton on Clinton Highway, killed Pitts.

The person who called 911 found Pitts in the road, the CPD said. Pitts died later.

But when investigators responded, they found evidence at the crash site that helped them identify the hit-and-run vehicle, according to Anderson County court records. The evidence included vehicle parts: a portion of a front grill and red markings including the letter “G” and half of the letter “M”.

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Oak Ridge Today
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Oak Ridge, TN 37831

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Vehicle located in fatal Clinton hit-and-run

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Dannon Cole

The Clinton Police Department has located the vehicle they believe was involved in the fatal hit-and-run crash on Clinch Avenue in south Clinton early Saturday, November 20.

The CPD announced Tuesday the were searching for the hit-and-run vehicle, which they thought could be a 2000-2006 extended-cab GMC pickup truck with heavy front-end damage.

They said they found the vehicle Wednesday.

The CPD then asked for public help locating Dannon Ray Cole, 50, of Clinton, who is a person of interest.

[Read more…]

Clinch Avenue needs repairs near bridge after heavy rains

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Clinton Police Department Clinch Avenue Road Separation Nov 25 2019
Clinch Avenue in Clinton will require repairs after heavy rains on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, caused the road bed to fail in the northbound lanes just north of the Lewallen Bridge, according to the Clinton Police Department. (Photo courtesy CPD)

Clinch Avenue in Clinton will require repairs after heavy rains on Saturday caused the road bed to fail in the northbound lanes just north of the Lewallen Bridge, according to the Clinton Police Department.

The bridge is not affected, but the traffic lanes on Clinch Avenue (State Route 9) near South Charles G. Seivers Boulevard (State Route 61).

The Tennessee Department of Transportation currently has traffic restricted to one lane traveling in each direction, the CPD said Monday.

[Read more…]

Photos: Clinch River bridge work in Clinton

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Work is under way on the bridge to replace the Honorable William Everette Lewallen Bridge over the Clinch River on Clinch Avenue between downtown Clinton and South Clinton. The work is pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Work is under way on the bridge to replace the Honorable William Everette Lewallen Bridge over the Clinch River on Clinch Avenue between downtown Clinton and South Clinton. The work is pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction work has started on the replacement of the Honorable William Everette Lewallen Bridge over the Clinch River in downtown Clinton. Here are photos of the work, which could last three years, on Tuesday.

In August, WYSH Radio in Clinton reported that the contract to replace the bridge on Highway 25W/State Route 9 (Clinton Highway/Clinch Avenue) was awarded on August 17 to Charles Blalock and Sons Incorporated of Sevierville. Their bid for the replacement of the bridge, known to locals as the “green bridge,” came in at $27,735,269.72, WYSH said.

The bridge connects downtown Clinton to south Clinton. [Read more…]

WYSH: Clinton bridge replacement contract awarded

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on Clinch Avenue near downtown Clinton is pictured above in December 2013. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

WYSH Radio has reported that the contract to replace the Lewallen Bridge on Highway 25W/State Route 9 (Clinton Highway/Clinch Avenue) over the Clinch River near downtown Clinton was awarded on August 17 to Charles Blalock and Sons Incorporated of Sevierville. Their bid for the replacement of the bridge, known to locals as the “green bridge,” came in at $27,735,269.72.

The bridge connects downtown Clinton and north Clinton to south Clinton.

The aging bridge is due for replacement, according to the state, and while it is still considered safe, the replacement will address looming concerns regarding the structure due to its age. [Read more…]

WYSH: TDOT gives Clinton an update on ‘green bridge’ replacement

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on Clinch Avenue is pictured above near downtown Clinton in this file photo from December 2013.

 

Information from WYSH Radio

Clinton City Manager Roger Houck gave WYSH Radio in Clinton an update on Wednesday morning on the project to replace the green bridge that connects South Clinton and Clinton on Highway 25W, also known as Clinton Highway and Clinch Avenue. The bridge is currently structurally sound and safe, but the Tennessee Department of Transportation said that could change over the next few years, hence the replacement project.

Houck said that TDOT had earlier indicated that they would put the project out for bids in the second quarter of this year with construction slated to begin in the third quarter, but the city was recently informed that the timetable has been moved back some, with bids expected to be be sought in the third quarter. Construction on the approximately $21 million project could begin late this year or, more likely, early next year. [Read more…]

Clinton Council to get update on project to replace Lewallen Bridge

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Clinton City Council is scheduled to receive an update Monday evening, Jan. 23, 2017, from City Manager Roger Houck on the status of the state project to replace the Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on Clinch Avenue. The bridge over the Clinch River connects downtown Clinton and South Clinton on Highway 25W. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton City Council is scheduled to receive an update tonight from City Manager Roger Houck on the status of the state project to replace the Lewallen Bridge connecting South Clinton and downtown Clinton on Highway 25W.

According to the city manager’s report included in the agenda for this evening’s meeting, Houck recently met with Tennessee Department of Transportation officials, who informed him that the project is still on schedule and that the design phase is nearing completion. Houck reported that TDOT has incorporated the various requests made by the city to be included in the design, such as lighting and bike lanes.

A plans review meeting is also set for next month, at which time city leaders could learn more about the expected timetable for the bridge project. [Read more…]

WYSH: Clinton crash injures motorcyclist

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Information from WYSH Radio, an Oak Ridge Today news partner

A car-motorcycle crash in south Clinton late Monday morning sent one man to the hospital by Lifestar medical helicopter, authorities said.

The crash occurred just before 11 a.m. Monday on Clinch Avenue in front of the Icon Market.

The Clinton Police Department said that 54-year-old John Aulton of Clinton had been headed north on Clinch Avenue on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when a southbound Cadillac sedan driven by 75-year-old Billy Ashe of Clinton tried to turn left into the market. But his car ended up in the path of Aulton’s motorcycle, authorities said, and even though Aulton reportedly locked his brakes, he struck the right front side of the Cadillac and was thrown off the bike. [Read more…]

Motorcyclist flown to UT after car-motorcycle crash in Clinton

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A motorcyclist was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville after a car-motorcycle crash on Clinch Avenue in south Clinton on Monday, authorities said.

The Clinton Police Department and Anderson County EMS both responded to the crash.

The CPD said it doesn’t have any other information yet.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Clinton man dies in Saturday night crash

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Clinton Police Department Badge

Note: This story was updated at 11:51 a.m.

A Clinton man died in a single-vehicle crash on Clinch Avenue on Saturday night, authorities said.

Witnesses told police that Johnny Sparks, 66, was driving his pickup truck southbound on Clinch Avenue, near Lee Road, at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when he swerved into the northbound lane, barely missing an oncoming vehicle.

An accident reconstruction team from the Clinton Police Department said the truck then ran into a concrete culvert, and Sparks was ejected from the truck.

There were no other passengers in Sparks’ vehicle, the CPD said. [Read more…]

Knox man indicted on numerous charges in fatal wreck

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Kyle Houston Anthony

Kyle Houston Anthony

Information from WYSH Radio

A Knoxville man has been indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on several charges connected to a December 2013 accident on Lewallen Bridge that killed one person and injured four others.

Kyle Houston Anthony, 22, was indicted last week on charges of vehicular homicide by intoxication and recklessness, drunken driving, driving under the influence of marijuana, three counts of reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, speeding, and tampering with evidence. He is free on $150,000 bond and will be arraigned Aug. 1 in Criminal Court.

The wreck killed 40-year-old Angela Duncan Richardson, who was ejected through the rear window of the 2012 Chevrolet pickup driven by Anthony. [Read more…]