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Trial set for man charged with vehicular homicide in death of 3-year-old

Posted at 12:38 pm April 1, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A plea agreement has not been reached, and trial dates were set during a plea agreement hearing for Jason Robert Braden, center, in Anderson County Circuit Court on Friday, March 29, 2019. At left is defense attorney David Stuart, who represents Braden in a vehicular homicide case from a crash that killed a three-year-old boy in Oak Ridge in January 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A plea agreement has not been reached, and trial dates were set during a plea agreement hearing for Jason Robert Braden II, center, in Anderson County Circuit Court on Friday, March 29, 2019. At left is defense attorney David Stuart, who represents Braden in the vehicular homicide case from a crash that killed a three-year-old boy in Oak Ridge in January 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—Prosecutors and the defense have not been able to reach an agreement on a plea deal, so a two-day trial has been set for Jason Robert Braden II, the 25-year-old Anderson County man charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, among other charges, in the death of a three-year-old boy, Jason Robert Braden III, in a crash in Oak Ridge in January 2017.

Braden had two plea agreement hearings scheduled in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton last month, one on Friday, March 1, and the other on Friday, March 29. But no agreement was announced during either hearing. The date was rescheduled during the March 1 hearing, and on Friday, defense attorney David Stuart said the defense and the state wouldn’t be able to reach an agreement.

At the start of Friday’s hearing, Stuart said an issue had come up. Braden had requested copies of the discovery, potential evidence that could be used at trial, so copies were made and delivered to the jail, Stuart said. But they went to the wrong Jason Braden, and Jason Robert Braden thinks that’s an ethics breach, Stuart said.

Stuart said he would have to self-report the breach if he thought he had done something wrong. Other legal officials, such as the judge and district attorney general, would also have to report him if they thought he had done something wrong, Stuart said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Circuit Court, Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County grand jury, Ashley Marie Ann Braden, crash, criminally negligent homicide, David Stuart, Don Elledge, driving under the influence, driving without a license, Emory Valley Road, Jason Robert Braden II, Jason Robert Braden III, Lafayette Drive, Melissa Denny, plea agreement hearing, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon is involved, Seventh Judicial District, speeding, two-vehicle crash, vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, violation of the child restraint law

Homicide case ends when defendant dies

Posted at 12:19 am January 5, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Christy-Duncan-Memorial-Oak-Ridge-Turnpike-May-10-2016

A vehicular homicide case that started with a fatal traffic crash at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue in May 2016 ended when the defendant, Vickie Gay Gilmore, died in 2018. A memorial to Christy Duncan, the woman who died in the three-vehicle crash, was set up on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A vehicular homicide case that started with a fatal traffic crash in Oak Ridge ended when the defendant died.

The case against Vickie Gay Gilmore, 64, had been pending in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. In July, another evaluation was ordered at the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute in Chattanooga. Gilmore was to be evaluated for her competency to stand trial and her mental condition at the time of the crime (the insanity defense). She had been found to be capable of adequately helping in her defense in an earlier evaluation at Moccasin Bend in 2016, but a later evaluation by a doctor produced contrary findings, according to an April 2018 order for a new competency evaluation.

The new evaluation order in July was stayed, or delayed, in September because of Gilmore’s deteriorating health and her inability to travel.

The charges against her were dismissed in a judgement dated October 9 and filed in November. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Criminal Court, Christy Duncan, crash, duty upon striking fixtures on a highway, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon is involved, vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, Vickie Gay Gilmore

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

Posted at 3:07 pm January 2, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County EMS, Ashley Marie Ann Braden, Bond, City of Oak Ridge, crash, criminally negligent homicide, driving under the influence, driving without a license, Dustin Sheehy, Emory Valley Road, homicide, indictment, Jason Robert Braden II, Jason Robert Braden III, Joshua Selvidge, Justyn Braden, Lafayette Drive, Melissa Denny, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, speeding, traffic crash, University of Tennessee Medical Center, vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, violation of the child restraint law

In depth: Cromwell gets new trial in fatal July 4 fireworks crash

Posted at 8:28 pm July 5, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lee Harold Cromwell (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Lee Harold Cromwell (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Lee Harold Cromwell, who was convicted of homicide and aggravated assault after a fatal crash after fireworks three years ago, is eligible for a new trial on the aggravated assault charges, a state appeals court said Tuesday.

After reviewing several issues raised on appeal, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Knoxville upheld Cromwell’s one conviction of reckless vehicular homicide and his five-year sentence on that charge.

But citing misleading and confusing jury instructions, the court ordered a new trial in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on the eight convictions of reckless aggravated assault. Those convictions, which were reversed by the appeals court on Tuesday, had helped to add seven years to Cromwell’s sentence.

“After our review, we affirm the evidence was sufficient to support the defendant’s convictions and the trial court properly sentenced the defendant, but (we) conclude the trial court committed reversible error in instructing the jury as to reckless aggravated assault,” the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals said. “Therefore, we vacate the defendant’s eight convictions for reckless aggravated assault and remand this case to the trial court for a new trial.”

The rest of this in-depth content, which includes exclusive coverage of oral arguments and the jury instructions, is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or recent contributor to Oak Ridge Today. 

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Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Filed Under: Courts, Courts, For Members, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Premium Content, Slider, Tennessee Tagged With: aggravated assault, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anthony Craighead, Davidson County Criminal Court, Don Elledge, fatal crash, fatal July 4 fireworks crash, forgery, fraudulent liens, J. Ross Dyer, James K. Scott, James Robinson, John Everett Williams, jury instructions, Lee Harold Cromwell, Midtown Community Center, new trial, Paul G. Summers, reckless aggravated assault, reckless vehicular homicide, Robert L. Holloway Jr., Seventh Judicial District, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Tennessee Pattern Jury Instruction, Tom Marshall, Zachary T. Hinkle

Man charged with homicide in crash that killed 3-year-old boy

Posted at 10:22 am March 22, 2018
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Jason Robert Braden

Jason Robert Braden II

 

An Anderson County man has been charged in an 11-count indictment that includes vehicular homicide by intoxication after a crash that killed a three-year-old boy and injured at least three other people in Oak Ridge last year.

Jason Robert Braden III, 3, died in the two-vehicle crash, which 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.

Charged in the 11-count indictment is Jason Robert Braden II, 24, of Bush Road in Marlow. The charges against Braden include vehicular homicide by intoxication, 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.

The Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton indicted Braden on February 27. He was arrested March 4. His bond has been set at $125,000, and he was released from the Anderson County Detention Facility on Monday, March 19. He has an arraignment set for Monday morning, March 26, in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County grand jury, Ashley Marie Ann Braden, City of Oak Ridge, Clinton Police Department, crash, David Harrington, driving under the influence, driving without a license, Dustin Sheehy, Emory Valley Road, indictment, Jason Robert Braden II, Jason Robert Braden III, Jeremy Huddleston, Joshua Selvidge, Justyn Braden, Kevin Craig, Kevin Merritt, Lafayette Drive, Matt Johnston, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Ray Faircloth, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon is involved, Roy Heinz, Sherrill Selby, speeding, University of Tennessee Medical Center, UT Lifestar, UT Medical Center, vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, violation of the child restraint law

Man pleads guilty to homicide in fatal crash

Posted at 2:31 pm November 4, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Justin Lee Seeber

Justin Lee Seeber

 

An Anderson County man pleaded guilty on Monday to criminally negligent homicide in the death of a 19-year-old woman in a single-vehicle crash on US 25W in May 2013.

Justin Lee Seeber, 28, also pleaded guilty in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton to reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

The crash on May 28, 2013, killed Amber Elaine Smith of Knoxville, a graduate of Hardin Valley Academy who attended Roane State Community College.

Seeber’s two-year sentence was suspended, and he was placed on state-supervised probation. As a standard offender, his release eligibility was set at 30 percent. If he successfully completes probation, he will not have to go to prison. But if he violates probation, he will have to serve prison time, authorities said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Tennessee Tagged With: Amber Elaine Smith, Anderson County, Anderson County Criminal Court, Andrew Farmer, criminally negligent homicide, Dave Clark, Don Elledge, driving on a license revoked because of a DUI, Emily Faye Abbott, failure to use due care, fatal crash, Justin Lee Seeber, reckless aggravated assault, reckless driving, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, Seventh Judicial District, speeding, Tennessee Highway Patrol, THP, US 25W, vehicular homicide by recklessness, violating the restrictions of a conditional license

Gilmore indicted on homicide charge in crash that killed Roane school employee

Posted at 4:51 pm April 9, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

vicki-gilmore-status-hearing-2-sept-29-2016-web

Vickie Gay Gilmore, 62, of Oak Ridge, has been indicted on charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence, among other charges, in the death of Christy Duncan, a 37-year-old Harriman mother and Roane County Schools employee, in a three-vehicle crash at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue on Friday, May 6, 2016. Gilmore is pictured above in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Sept. 29. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Christy Duncan

Christy Duncan

Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 a.m. April 10.

An Oak Ridge woman has been indicted on charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence in the death of a 37-year-old Harriman mother and Roane County Schools employee in a three-vehicle crash in May.

The vehicular homicide charge alleges Vickie Gay Gilmore, 62, was driving recklessly in the crash that killed Christy Duncan, 37, of Harriman.

Gilmore has also been charged with reckless aggravated assault for injuring Duncan’s daughter Janna, who was four years old at the time of the May 6 crash at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue.

Gilmore has also been charged with reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon (a motor vehicle), reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. She has an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, April 28, in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton.

The indictments were filed Tuesday by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County grand jury, Ben Haines, Chris McKenzie, Christy Duncan, crash, Derek Burchfield, driving under the influence, Jason Watson, leaving the scene of an accident, Leslie Hunt, Melissa Denny, Oak Ridge Police Department, preliminary hearing, reckless aggravated assault, reckless driving, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, Roger Miller, Shellie Fellers, vehicular homicide, Vickie Gay Gilmore

Man charged with reckless aggravated assault after crash seriously injures two, causes SUV to roll

Posted at 9:03 am January 24, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Matthew R. Gibson

Matthew R. Gibson

Note: This story was updated at 2:35 p.m. Jan. 25.

A 72-year-old Oak Ridge man has been charged with reckless aggravated assault after he allegedly drove at high speed in a pickup truck on a residential street, ignored a stop sign, and collided with a sport utility vehicle, causing it to roll and seriously injuring two people inside, authorities said.

Matthew R. Gibson, of South Purdue Avenue, was also cited for not having his driver’s license and for a stop sign violation.

His bond on the reckless aggravated assault charge was set at $20,000, and he remained jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Sunday morning.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, January 16, at the intersection of Manhattan and North Purdue avenues in the Woodland neighborhood, behind Food City. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Bobby White, Brandan Sharp, crash, Freddie White, Hattie White, Lifestar, Lifestar medical helicopter, Manhattan Avenue, Matthew R. Gibson, Methodist Medical Center, North Purdue Avenue, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, reckless aggravated assault, stop sign violation, University of Tennessee Medical Center, UT Medical Center

Pioneer man faces vehicular homicide charge in fatal crash on Hwy 61

Posted at 12:58 pm August 13, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Shawn Earl Wright

Shawn Earl Wright

A Pioneer man has been arrested on a half-dozen charges, including vehicular homicide, for the October death of an Oneida man in a crash on Highway 61 at the on-ramp to I-75 North in Clinton.

Christopher Strunk, 32, of Oneida, died in the fatal crash on Friday morning, October 4. The Clinton Police Department reported that Strunk was a passenger in a Honda Civic driven by Shawn Wright, now 27, of Pioneer, WYSH Radio in Clinton reported at the time.

Wright now faces six charges: vehicular homicide, criminally negligent homicide, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and failure to stop at a red light. He was indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on August 5 and arrested Tuesday. He remained jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton early Wednesday afternoon. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Clinton, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County grand jury, Christopher Strunk, Clinton, Clinton Police Department, crash, criminally negligent homicide, David Kittrell, failure to stop at a red light, Highway 61, I-75, reckless aggravated assault, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, Shawn Wright, vehicular homicide

Knox man indicted on numerous charges in fatal wreck

Posted at 11:46 am July 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

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…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Clinton, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Angela Duncan Richardson, Clinch Avenue, driving under the influence of marijuana, drunken driving, grand jury, Kyle Houston Anthony, Lewallen Bridge, reckless aggravated assault, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, speeding, tampering with evidence, vehicular homicide by intoxication and recklessness

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