Oak Ridge Today

Updated: Man killed in head-on collision on Andersonville Highway

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Note: This story was updated at 2 a.m. Dec. 4.

A Knoxville man died after a head-on collision on Andersonville Highway on Friday night, authorities said.

James D. Gunter, 56, was driving east on the highway, also known as State Route 61, in a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette at about 9:39 p.m. Friday when he crossed the yellow line to pass another vehicle and hit a 2006 Toyota 4Runner head-on in the westbound lane, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Gunter was killed, the THP said in a fatality report.

Gunter is suspected of drinking and drug use, according to the report. Alcohol and drug tests have been requested, which is routine in fatal crashes. [Read more…]

Three women taken to hospital after rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive

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Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive at Rolling Links Boulevard on Sunday evening, Nov. 12, 2017. Above, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Kenny Prickett investigates the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive at Rolling Links Boulevard on Sunday evening, Nov. 12, 2017. Above, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Kenny Prickett investigates the crash. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three women were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a single-vehicle rollover crash on Melton Lake Drive on Sunday evening, authorities said.

The crash of the minivan was reported at about 6:35 p.m. Sunday at Rolling Links Boulevard in east Oak Ridge.

The vehicle was going south on Melton Lake Drive when it left the right side of the road, hit a boulder, continued traveling south, and landed on its left side, said Oak Ridge Police Department Lieutenant Matt Tedford.

After the crash, the three women were trapped inside the van, and they had to be helped out, Tedford said. Emergency crews cut off the top of the van. [Read more…]

Shooting victim in serious condition at UT Medical Center

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William Molette

William Molette

The woman who was shot on Walsh Lane on Friday night, possibly five times around her torso, is in serious condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, a spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting at 104 Walsh Lane was reported at about 11 p.m. Friday. It started with a grudge over a puppy, according to affidavits filed Tuesday in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

William Antwon Molette, 43, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in the case. He tried to incapacitate or kill the victim, Kathy Griffin, by pointing a small, black .380 caliber Ruger LCP at Griffin and firing numerous times, until the magazine was empty, “with the sole intent of killing the victim,” according to the court affidavits, which were filed by Oak Ridge Police Department Detective A. Marvell Moore. The facts as alleged in the affidavits were based on witness statements and officer statements and observations, Moore said.

Griffin had life-threatening injuries because of the shooting, and she had to be airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Trauma Center in Knoxville, Moore said.

“Medical personnel observed multiple (five) defects to or about the victim’s torso that were believed to have been created by high-velocity projectiles,” Moore said. [Read more…]

Man pleads guilty to homicide in fatal crash, but not clear if he had heart attack

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Pictured above during a plea agreement hearing in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, are Danny Lee Bean, right, and Tom Marshall, public defender in the Seventh Judicial District (Anderson County). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above during a plea agreement hearing in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, are defendant Danny Lee Bean, right, and Tom Marshall, public defender in the Seventh Judicial District (Anderson County). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—A Marlow man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two charges of vehicular homicide in a fatal crash on Oliver Springs Highway in Marlow in November 2012, but it’s not clear if he might have had a heart attack, possibly before the crash.

Danny Lee Bean, 59, received an effective 10-year sentence for his guilty pleas in the head-on three-vehicle crash that killed Alberta Farrer, 56, and Pat Smith, 62.

Bean’s sentence was suspended, and he was placed on supervised probation. He had to surrender his driver’s license, and he can’t drive.

Bean had hydrocodone and alprazolam in his system, but he had prescriptions for those medicines at therapeutic levels, attorneys said at a plea agreement hearing in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Wednesday morning. Hydrocodone is a narcotic pain-reliever, and alprzazolam can be used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It’s not clear whether a doctor had advised Bean to not drive after taking either medication.

Before the plea, a question had been raised about whether Bean had experienced a heart attack around the time of the crash, possibly before it. [Read more…]

Crashes with injuries reported in Oak Ridge, Clinton

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A three-car crash was reported at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Florida Avenue on Friday morning, July 14, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A three-car crash with injuries was reported at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Florida Avenue on Friday morning, July 14, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three crashes with injuries were reported Friday morning in Oak Ridge and Clinton. A University of Tennessee Lifestar medical helicopter was reported to have responded to the crash in Clinton.

The first two-vehicle crash was reported at 9:18 a.m. Friday on Laboratory Road at Bus Terminal Road. One vehicle ended up on its side, trapping the driver, who had to be extricated, or freed from the vehicle. That driver was taken to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, authorities said.

The second crash was reported sometime around 11 a.m. Friday in the 300 block of Main Street in Clinton. At least two vehicles were reported to have been involved, and Lifestar was reported to have responded. [Read more…]

Motorcyclist flown to hospital after crash on Saturday night

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A motorcyclist was flown to a hospital after crashing into a parked car on Highland Avenue on Saturday night, June 10, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A motorcyclist was flown to a hospital after crashing into a parked car on Highland Avenue on Saturday night, June 10, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A motorcyclist was flown to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after crashing into a parked car on Highland Avenue on Saturday night, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 9:52 p.m. Saturday near the intersection with South Hollywood Circle, and that section of Highland Avenue was briefly closed.

Although the injuries were not life threatening, the motorcyclist was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville due to the nature of the trauma, Oak Ridge Police Department Lieutenant Matt Tedford said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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Crash update: Girl expected to come home soon, mother out of ICU

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The seven-year-old girl injured in a fatal two-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue last week is expected to come home in the next few days, and her mother is out of a hospital’s intensive care unit, a relative said Friday.

On Wednesday, Jason Taylor of Kingston, who is the great-uncle of the seven-year-old, said his great-niece was out of the ICU and in a regular room resting with her grandmother. In another update on Friday, he said the girl is fully awake, and talking well. The first thing she said when she woke up Sunday was: “I’m hungry, and I’m thirsty,” Taylor said.

“Our beautiful seven-year-old little angel is recovering slowly but surely!” Taylor said Wednesday. “She sustained quite a few injuries but is alert, talking, and eating! God protected this child in this (horrific) accident without a doubt. A full recovery is expected but with a long road ahead! Thank you for the update and please continue to pray for all families that were involved!”

Taylor said his niece, Tabitha Douglas, 26, is out of the ICU. Douglas is the mother of the injured girl. On Tuesday, the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville had reported that Douglas was still in critical condition. [Read more…]

One in critical condition, two discharged after fatal crash by UT Arboretum

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One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A Corryton woman remains in critical condition at a Knoxville hospital and two people have been discharged after a fatal two-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on Friday, officials said.

Tabitha Douglas, 26, is in critical condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, the hospital said Tuesday.

Douglas was driving a sedan at the time of the crash, which was reported at about 2:47 p.m. Friday at Commerce Park Drive, which is across from the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue.

A passenger in the sedan, Ashley Blalock, 30, of Knoxville, died. [Read more…]

Man indicted on vehicular homicide, other charges after Clinton Highway crash

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Scott Gray, who has been indicted on vehicular homicide and other charges, is pictured above during a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division I, in Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—A Knoxville man has been indicted on vehicular homicide and other charges in the death of a 23-year-old Heiskell woman after a two-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway in April 2016.

The specific homicide charge against Scott Allen Gray, 27, is vehicular homicide by intoxication. Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers testified during an August 11 preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division I, in Clinton that Gray smelled of alcohol and said he had been drinking and taken two anti-anxiety pills before the crash. Gray’s passenger, Jessica Miner Taylor, died about a week after the crash.

The Anderson County Grand Jury also indicted Gray on charges of reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon (a motor vehicle) is involved; failure to yield the right of way, resulting in death; failure of provide evidence of insurance; failure to carry a certificate of registration; failure to use due care; violation of the open container law; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana.

Gray had an arraignment and bond hearing scheduled this past Friday in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton.

Charges against Gray were bound over, or sent to the Grand Jury, during the preliminary hearing in August. The indictments were filed May 2. An indictment moves a case from Anderson County General Sessions Court to Anderson County Criminal Court. [Read more…]

Authorities identify adults injured, killed in Friday’s crash

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One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Authorities have identified the three adults injured and one adult killed in Friday’s two-vehicle crash near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue.

Killed in the crash was Ashley Blalock, 30, of Knoxville. She was a passenger in a sedan driven by Tabitha Douglas, 26, of Corryton, who was injured in the crash. Also in the vehicle was a 7-year-old Corryton girl. The City of Oak Ridge said the Oak Ridge Police Department will not release the name of the juvenile, who was also injured.

The other vehicle involved in the crash was a sport utility vehicle. The two people in the SUV were also injured. They were driver Celia Sparks, 78, and passenger Jeffrey Sparks, 52, both of Knoxville.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The crash was reported at about 2:47 p.m. Friday at Commerce Park Drive, which is across from the Arboretum. [Read more…]

Fatal crash: One adult released from hospital; police officers start memorial with stuffed animals

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Oak Ridge Police Department officers started a memorial with stuffed animals on Saturday morning for a three-year-old child killed in a fatal crash at Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive on Friday evening, Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

One adult passenger injured in a fatal two-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on Friday has been released from the hospital, a city official said Saturday. And Oak Ridge Police Department officers started a memorial at the crash site, leaving stuffed animals there Saturday morning.

The fatal crash was reported at about 5:15 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive. Police said the crash killed one three-year-old child and injured another child, and it also injured four adults. The five people who were injured and the child who died were all taken by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, a Level I trauma center. All six had been in the same vehicle, an older model dark-colored or black sport utility vehicle.

On Saturday, Sarah Self, spokesperson for the City of Oak Ridge, said one of the adult passengers was released from UT Medical Center.

The condition of the other injured patients (three adults and one child) was not available, Self said.

Five people in the second vehicle involved in the crash, a newer silver Volkswagen sedan, were not injured, Self said. There were four adults and one child in that car. [Read more…]

Child dies, five injured in crash

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Fatal-Crash-Emory-Valley-Road-Lafayette-Drive-Intersection-Jan-13-2017-Slider

A three-year-old died and five other people were taken to a trauma center in Knoxville after a two-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge at Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive on Friday evening, Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 p.m. Jan 16.

A three-year-old died and five other people were taken to a trauma center in Knoxville after a serious crash in Oak Ridge on Friday evening, authorities said.

The fatal two-vehicle crash involved 11 people. It was reported at about 5:15 p.m. Friday at Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive.

Those taken by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, a Level 1 Trauma Center, were four adults and two children. One of those children is the three-year-old who died (the child was initially reported to be four). The four adults and two children were all in one vehicle, an older model dark-colored or black sport utility vehicle, or SUV.

Five people in a second vehicle—four adults and one child—were reported to not have injuries, according to the City of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]