Oak Ridge Today

No injuries reported in house fire

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Outer Drive Fire 3 Feb 21 2020
No injuries were reported in a fire that destroyed a home on Outer Drive early Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 8:35 a.m. Feb. 24.

No injuries were reported in a fire that destroyed a home on Outer Drive near Ogden Lane early Friday.

The cause of the fire, reported at about 2:19 a.m. Friday, is under investigation.

“The first arriving unit was on scene within minutes and found heavy smoke and fire coming from the residence,” the City of Oak Ridge said. “The resident was not home at the time of the fire.”

Outer Drive was closed at Ogden Lane on Friday morning as the Oak Ridge Fire Department watched for hot spots and continued to spray water on the charred home, which appeared to have a second story that had collapsed. The road re-opened shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.

[Read more…]

Crash seriously injures motorcyclist, officer applies tourniquet

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The Oak Ridge Police Department investigates a crash between a Kia and a motorcycle that seriously injured a motorcyclist between California Avenue and Ogden Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. The Toyota at right was not involved in the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Police Department investigates a crash between a Kia and a motorcycle that seriously injured a motorcyclist between California Avenue and Ogden Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. The Toyota to the right of the motorcycle was not involved in the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m. Feb 23.

A crash between a Kia sport utility vehicle and a motorcycle seriously injured a motorcyclist on Outer Drive on Wednesday afternoon, and a police officer used a tourniquet to help stop bleeding, possibly saving the man’s life, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 3:50 p.m. Wednesday.

The motorcyclist had a serious injury to his lower left leg, Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said.

Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Tim Buckner and Probationary Officer Michael Wilson were the first to arrive at the crash. Buckner, who had received training on a tactical tourniquet in April 2017, applied a tourniquet and stopped the blood flow, Akagi said. The motorcyclist had several punctured arteries and was suffering from blood loss, authorities said. [Read more…]

Three people found dead at home on Oak Lane

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Three people were found dead at a home on Oak Lane in north Oak Ridge on Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three people were found dead at a home on Oak Lane in north Oak Ridge on Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, authorities said. Above, the Oak Ridge Police Department investigates Thursday afternoon. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 a.m. June 16.

Updated story:

The three adults found dead on Oak Lane on Thursday morning each had a single gunshot wound, authorities said.

The three were found dead during a welfare check at 101 Oak Lane at about 8:03 a.m. Thursday. They have been identified as:

  • Michael Deuschle, age 49
  • Tessa Deuschle, age 43
  • Chelsea Kessel, age 24

The city said a preliminary investigation leads officers to believe that the females were shot first at close range, and then the man shot himself.

Detectives with the Oak Ridge Police Department believe this to be an isolated incident, and citizens do not need to be alarmed, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. Officers do not believe there are any additional victims in this case. The investigation is ongoing.

Oak Lane is off Outer Drive near California Avenue in north Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Officers investigating stolen car catch suspect after foot chase, helicopter search

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Air-Watch-Helicopter-Search-Dec-15-2015

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office used a helicopter to help the Oak Ridge Police Department and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department search for a suspect in the woods on the north side of Black Oak Ridge on the north side of Oak Ridge on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect was captured just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, at Cedar Hill Park in Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:30 p.m.

A 19-year-old man being questioned about a car stolen from Nashville fled from police as they tried to arrest him in Oak Ridge late Tuesday morning, and more than 30 officers and deputies spent more than two hours searching for him by foot, car, and helicopter. The Oak Ridge Preschool was briefly locked down during the search, and the suspect, Elijah McDowell, 19, was tracked for more than four miles on foot before being captured at Cedar Hill Park near Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive in north-central Oak Ridge.

One Oak Ridge Police Department officer sustained non-life threatening injuries while chasing McDowell into the park.

Elijah Malik McDowell

Elijah Malik McDowell

McDowell’s charges include three counts of property theft, with one between $10,000 and $59,999; assault; resisting arrest; evading arrest; and probation violation, according to Anderson County Sheriff’s Department jail records. His address lists him as a resident of Dandridge.

Before McDowell was caught, Oak Ridge Police Department officers and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies swarmed roads on the north side of Oak Ridge and down into Marlow while searching for the suspect. They combed the roads and woods along Outer Drive, Key Springs Road, Bacon Springs Road, and Oliver Springs Highway, among other streets. A Knox County Sheriff’s Office Airwatch helicopter flew low circles over the woods on the north side of Black Oak Ridge, which is on the north side of Oak Ridge.

The pursuit started after Oak Ridge officers were dispatched to a home at 102 Marion Road at 11:47 a.m. Tuesday. They were trying to locate a black 2008 Dodge Charger reported stolen from Nashville, a press release said. The vehicle was being tracked remotely by the Metropolitan Nashville Metropolitan Police Department. [Read more…]

AC woman faces DUI, other charges after allegedly hitting parked car, metal rail

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Michelle E. Slaughter

Michelle E. Slaughter

An Anderson County woman accused of striking a parked car on East Pawley Lane and a metal hand rail on Outer Drive in Oak Ridge on Wednesday now faces several charges, including driving under the influence.

Michelle E. Slaughter, 27, of Dutch Valley Road, told Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Ben Higgins that she had three shots of vodka and one beer at a friend’s house, according to warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. Slaughter said she doesn’t normally drink, and she had not eaten anything all day.

In the warrants, Higgins said ORPD Officer Ray Steakley was helping Slaughter while she walked after a stop at Outer Drive and Key Springs Road, and she appeared to be uneasy on her feet and had trouble walking on her own. [Read more…]

Another 12 hours or so to restore power, Electric Department says

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Willow Run Fallen Tree

A giant tree fell at Willow Run Apartments in Clinton and wrecked the fence at the basketball and tennis courts. (Photo courtesy Jim Harris)

 

It could take another 12-13 hours to restore power across Oak Ridge after the severe Tuesday evening storms, the Oak Ridge Electric Department said on Twitter at roughly 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

That would presumably mean that some customers might not have electricity restored until sometime Wednesday morning.

The Electric Department said the storms knocked down many trees and limbs. Crews have responded to fallen trees, power outages, dangling utility lines, and other problems across town since the short, fierce storm ripped through Oak Ridge and Anderson County at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Electric Department warned residents to stay away from power lines on the ground.

At about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oak Ridge workers were out cutting up trees and restoring power on Jefferson Avenue.  A few miles away off Pennsylvania Avenue, Plymouth Circle was blocked to traffic, and it appeared that there was a utility line on the road blocked by orange traffic cones. [Read more…]

Vehicle strikes two cars, house before fleeing, police say

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An unknown driver in an unknown vehicle hit two parked cars on Outer Drive early Saturday morning, sideswiped a tree, and struck a house before fleeing, authorities said.

The crash at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday just east of Florida Avenue damaged the foundation of a home at 97 Outer Drive, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Daniel Freytag said in a report. [Read more…]

Man says rock affected steering, hits parked car on Outer Drive

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Outer Drive Crash

An Oak Ridge man was not injured when his pickup truck hit a parked car on Outer Drive early Saturday morning. (Photo by Tom Scott)

An Oak Ridge man told police he hit a rock while driving west on Outer Drive early Saturday morning, which affected his steering and caused his GMC Sierra pickup truck to veer into an unoccupied Hyundai sedan in an on-street parking space, an accident report said.

Roger C. Thompson, 58, was not injured in the crash at about 12:20 a.m. Saturday just east of New York Avenue, an Oak Ridge Police Department report said.