Oak Ridge Today

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

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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…]

Follow-up: New details of fatal Clinton wreck

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Information from WYSH Radio

More information is now available about Friday’s fatal accident on Highway 61 at the on-ramp to I-75 North in Clinton.

The wreck occurred at about 7:06 a.m. Friday, and it killed Christopher Strunk, 32, of Oneida. The Clinton Police Department reported that Strunk was a passenger in a Honda Civic driven by Shawn Wright, 26, of Pioneer.

The accident happened when a car driven by David Kittrell of Mississippi was in the left lane near the on-ramp and Wright’s car pulled into his path while trying to get on to the interstate. Kittrell’s car “T-boned” Wright’s car and both vehicles spun around before coming to rest against a guard rail. Strunk, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services personnel, and Wright suffered injuries that sent him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by ambulance. [Read more…]