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Father allegedly flees crash where injured son is trapped, then flees hospital nude, THP says

Posted at 3:42 pm September 11, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jacob Daniel Baxter

Jacob Daniel Baxter

 

An Anderson County man allegedly fled a crash where his juvenile son, who was partially ejected and injured, was trapped between a van and a barn, and the man later fled from a hospital nude, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 11:29 p.m. Saturday, September 3, on Old Lake City Highway.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Jacob Daniel Baxter, 33, of Black Oak Road in Anderson County, was driving west in a white 1999 Dodge Caravan on Old Lake City Highway when he lost control while going round a curve. The van went off the right side of the road and stopped at a metal barn on the side of the road, according to the THP.

A 15-year-old boy, who is identified as Baxter’s son, was trapped between the van and the barn, according to arrest warrants filed by the THP in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division I, in Clinton.

While Anderson County Rescue Squad personnel were helping to remove the trapped boy, Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Isaiah Lloyd began searching for the driver. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Knox County, Knoxville, Medford, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories, University of Tennessee Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Bradley Kidwell, burglary, Clinton Police Department, crash, driving on a revoked license, driving under the influence, failure to maintain control, failure to report a crash, Isaiah Lloyd, Jacob Daniel Baxter, Justus, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, leaving the scene of a crash with injury, Lifestar, Lifestar medical helicopter, Medford Volunteer Fire Department, Old Lake City Highway, reckless endangerment, Rick Coley, Tennessee Highway Patrol, theft over $1000, THP, University of Tennessee Medical Center, UT Medical Center, UT Police Department, vehicular assault

One dead after two-county chase ends in crash; wanted man charged with homicide

Posted at 10:46 am May 26, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey in 2014 (Source: Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

One man is dead following the crash that occurred Wednesday afternoon on Central Avenue Pike in north Knox County after a two-county police chase, and a man wanted in both Anderson and Knox counties has been charged with vehicular homicide, authorities said.

According to the initial investigation, 26-year-old Ralpheal Cameron Coffey was fleeing from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department in a 2007 maroon Chevy Impala when he almost struck an officer with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in his cruiser around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday on Heiskell Road, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. The officer turned the cruiser around to pursue Coffey, but found the Impala had crashed into a 2007 white Ford F150 pickup truck on Central Avenue Pike at Callahan Drive.

Coffey and his passenger, Tommie Troupe, 44, as well as the driver of the Ford, Kevin Bradley, 27, and his passenger, Eric Kennedy, 26, were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville with incapacitating injuries. Bradley was pronounced dead at the hospital. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Central Avenue Pike, crash, Eric Kennedy, Heiskell Road, Kevin Bradley, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Lucas, Oak Ridge Police Department, Raccoon Valley Road, Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tommie Troupe, University of Tennessee Medical Center, vehicular homicide

Two-county car chase ends in crash that injures four in Knox

Posted at 8:42 pm May 25, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey

Ralpheal Cameron Coffey in 2014 (Source: Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

A two-county car chase that started in Anderson County before being terminated by deputies Wednesday afternoon ended with a two-vehicle crash in Knox County that injured four people, authorities said.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies were looking for Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, 26, around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Claxton area for several outstanding warrants, Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. He said Coffey was spotted in a maroon Chevrolet Impala on Edgemoor Road.

“As deputies started to make a vehicle stop on Coffey, he began fleeing toward Clinton Highway on Edgemoor Road,” Lucas said. “Deputies began a pursuit that crossed Clinton Highway onto Raccoon Valley Road and into Knox County. Deputies lost sight of the vehicle as it went under the railroad trestle on Raccoon Valley Road in Heiskell.”

Witnesses pointed out that the vehicle turned southbound onto Heiskell Road toward Powell, Lucas said. But deputies were unable to locate the vehicle and terminated their pursuit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Callahan Road, Central Avenue Pike, crash, Heiskell Road, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Lucas, Oak Ridge Police Department, police chase, Raccoon Valley Road, Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Tennessee Highway Patrol

Oak Ridge man arrested, bond set at $100,000 in Knox trafficking case

Posted at 2:43 pm May 23, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Zubin Percy Parakh

Zubin Percy Parakh

Note: This story was updated at 5:03 p.m.

An Oak Ridge man was arrested and booked into Knox County jail on a trafficking charge on Saturday, one day after Tennessee and Knoxville officials announced that 32 men and women had been arrested in an operation to combat human trafficking.

Bond for Zubin Percy Parakh, 32, of Golfcrest Lane in Oak Ridge, has been set at $100,000 on the trafficking charge. A preliminary hearing has been set for May 31, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office website.

The arrests and citations on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges were made as part of Operation Someone Like Me last week in Knoxville.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said two of the men, including a children’s minister, Jason Kennedy, 46, of Knoxville, responded to ads for what they thought were girls under the age of 18. Kennedy was a children’s minister at Grace Baptist Church on Oak Ridge Highway in Karns, but he has since been fired. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Knoxville, Police and Fire, Tennessee Tagged With: Class A felony, human trafficking, Jason Kennedy, Knox County Detention Facility, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Mark Gwyn, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, trafficking, WBIR, WVLT, Zubin Percy Parakh

One student arrested for bomb threat in Farragut; second identified in Hardin Valley threat

Posted at 8:36 pm March 29, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Knox County Sheriff Badge
A 16-year-old male student from Farragut High School was arrested for making a bomb threat at the school on Tuesday morning, and a second student who made a bomb threat at Hardin Valley Elementary has been identified, authorities said.

The arrest and identification were announced by the Major Crimes Unit of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Farragut High School was on lockdown on Tuesday while KCSO investigators searched the school and interviewed students and staff after a threat was found on a wall in a boys’ restroom. The 16-year-old is charged with vandalism and making a bomb threat, the KCSO said.

“Once again, cooperation between law enforcement and students and school officials helped solve the case,” authorities said. “KCSO is investigating other suspects and expects more arrests.”

The bomb threat at Hardin Valley Elementary was also made Tuesday, the Major Crimes Unit said. That investigation continues. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Knox County, Police and Fire Tagged With: bomb threat, Farragut High School, Hardin Valley Academy, Hardin Valley Elementary, Karen Carson, KCSO, Knox County Board of Education, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit, vandalism

Girl, 16, charged with making bomb threat at Hardin Valley Academy

Posted at 12:00 pm March 28, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Knox County Sheriff Badge

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has charged a 16-year-old girl with making a bomb threat at Hardin Valley Academy last week, authorities said.

The teen is a student at the school and is charged with making a bomb threat and vandalism, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. The school was closed last Thursday after school officials found a bomb threat written on the girls’ bathroom wall.

The KCSO said that help solving the case came about because of the “See Something, Say Something” program that has been implemented by law enforcement in conjunction with the Knox County school system. Students and school officials came forward with information that aided the KCSO investigation, authorities said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: bomb threat, Farragut High School, Hardin Valley Academy, KCSO, Knox County Sheriff’s Office

Maine man pleads guilty in armed bank extortions, including at Y-12 Credit Union

Posted at 4:47 pm March 1, 2016
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Brian Witham

Brian Witham

Note: This story was last updated at 5:40 p.m.

A Maine man charged in several armed bank extortion plots, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday, authorities said.

Brian Scott Witham, 45, of Waterville, Maine, pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a 15-count indictment from December 2015 involving armed bank extortions of the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, SmartBank in Knoxville, and Northeast Community Credit Union in Elizabethton, said Nancy Stallard Harr, acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Witham is one of two people charged in the bank extortion scheme.

As part of his plea agreement, Witham agreed to plead guilty to similar charges from three other federal jurisdictions including the Western District of North Carolina, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the District of Connecticut, authorities said. Witham, U.S. attorneys, and a federal judge all agreed to transfer the similar charges to U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee, a press release said. Those charges include being a felon in possession of a firearm in Haywood County, North Carolina; armed robbery of an Ingles in Arden, North Carolina; armed robbery of the Peoples Security Bank and Trust in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania; and attempted armed bank extortion of the Achieve Financial Credit Union in New Britain, Connecticut, authorities said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, U.S. Tagged With: armed bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, bank extortion, Brian Scott Witham, carjacking, Dave Lewen, Eastern District of Tennessee, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Mark Ziegler, Michael Anthony Benanti, Nancy Stallard Harr, Northeast Community Credit Union, Oak Ridge Police Department, SmartBank, U.S. Attorney, U.S. District Court, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Second suspect in bank extortion, carjacking plots also pleads not guilty

Posted at 4:06 pm January 29, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Michael Benanti

Michael Benanti

KNOXVILLE—A second suspect has also pleaded not guilty to three alleged bank extortion and carjacking plots that involved bank employees and their family members, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge.

One of the suspects, Brian Witham, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Tuesday.

The second suspect, Michael Benanti, pleaded not guilty during a Friday afternoon arraignment.

Each man is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 142 years in prison, if they are convicted on all 15 federal charges that they face. The charges include bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm while committing a crime. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Knoxville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Tagged With: arraignment, attempted bank extortion, bank extortion, Brian Witham, carjacking, Dave Lewen, Edward Reinhold, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Michael Benanti, Nancy Stallard Harr, Northeast Community Credit Union, Oak Ridge Police Department, SmartBank, U.S. District Court, United States Attorney, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Knoxville woman dies, Andersonville women injured in crash on Norris Freeway

Posted at 12:40 pm January 27, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A Knoxville woman died and two Andersonville women were injured in a Tuesday morning crash on Norris Freeway at Pedigo Road in north Knox County, authorities said.

The woman who died has been identified as Nellie Gunter, 70, of Knoxville, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

The KCSO said Gunter was driving north on Norris Freeway in a Nissan Versa when she lost control of her car due to the wet road and hit a Buick LeSabre, which was going south. Gunter died at the scene, authorities said.

The Buick was driven by Alice Overdyk, 67, of Andersonville. She and her passenger, Susan Moses, 58, also of Andersonville, were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville by Rural Metro. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Alice Overdyk, crash, KCSO, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Nellie Gunter, Norris Freeway, Pedigo Road, Susan Moses, University of Tennessee Medical Center

Suspect in bank extortion, carjacking plots could face mandatory minimum of 142 years in prison

Posted at 3:36 pm January 26, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a kidnapping and attempted robbery at the Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge on Tuesday morning, April 28, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m.

KNOXVILLE—One of the two suspects in three alleged bank extortion and carjacking plots that involved bank employees and their family members, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 142 years in prison, if he is convicted on all 15 charges that he faces, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday.

Brian Witham pleaded not guilty to the 15 charges—which include bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm while committing a crime—during a 20-minute arraignment and initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon.

Brian Witham

Brian Witham (Photo courtesy WATE-TV in Knoxville)

A trial has been set for March 29.

Witham’s alleged co-conspirator, Michael Benanti, has an initial appearance and arraignment scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The two were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 15 for plots that involved kidnapping family members and robbing or attempting to rob three banks and credit unions in Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and Elizabethton, Tennessee. Benanti, 43, is from Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, and Witham, 45, is from Waterville, Maine. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Tagged With: arraignment, attempted bank extortion, bank extortion, brandishing a firearm, Brian Witham, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, C. Clifford Shirley, carjacking, Dave Lewen, Edward Reinhold, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Maggie Valley Police Department, Mark Zeigler, Michael Benanti, Nancy Stallard Harr, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Northeast Community Credit Union, Oak Ridge Police Department, SmartBank, Tanner Harris, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. District Court, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Updated: Missing preschool teacher found, apparent victim of fatal single-vehicle crash

Posted at 11:14 am January 23, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 2 Comments

Melanie-Coley

Melanie Coley

Note: This story was last updated at 3:10 p.m.

The Loudon County woman who was reported missing on Friday and last seen at Bad Daddy’s Burger in Turkey Creek on Thursday has been found, and she is the apparent victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash, authorities said.

Melanie Coley, 29,was found ejected from her wrecked 2014 Dodge Avenger on Saturday morning in the 1400 block of Sugar Limb Road in Loudon County, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

She had last been seen around 10:45 p.m. Thursday at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, located at 11863 Parkside Drive in Farragut. The Primrose School of Farragut had identified Coley as a preschool teacher there.

Tennessee Highway Patrol discovered the crash after coordinating with KCSO Major Crimes detectives to investigate Coley’s travel routes and patterns. The area had previously been checked by public safety personnel, but the vehicle was off the road and not visible to passing traffic, authorities said.

It appears as though Coley was on her way home when the crash occurred, the KCSO said. The Loudon County Coroner’s Office will perform an autopsy.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: KCSO, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Melanie Coley, missing woman, Primrose School of Farragut

KCSO identifies 19-year-old killed in Solway crash

Posted at 5:54 pm January 20, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Solway-Road-Crash-Car-Fire-Truck-Jan-20-2016

A 19-year-old man died when a car slid off the road at the intersection of Solway and Guinn roads and hit a tree in Solway on Wednesday morning, authorities said. (Photo courtesy WATE-TV/Knoxville)

 

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has identified the 19-year-old killed in a Wednesday morning crash in Solway.

The young man was James Cryder, the KCSO said.

His passenger, 20-year-old Jacob Raley, is being treated at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

Authorities said that Cryder died after a 1996 Toyota Corolla slid off the road at the intersection of Solway and Guinn roads and hit a tree. Officers on the scene said the car slid off the road due to weather and speeding. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: crash, Jacob Raley, James Cryder, KCSO, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Solway, Solway crash, Solway Road

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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