Category Archives: Tennessee

Memphis, Tenn. – Mother charged with DUI in wreck leaving 4-year-old son critical | commercialappeal.com

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Mary Cavitch

Mary Cavitch

A 4-year-old boy remained in critical condition Thursday morning after his mother drove into a utility pole in Cordova Wednesday night, allegedly after drinking half a bottle of vodka.

The children’s mother, 26-year-old Mary Cavitch, has been charged with DUI, vehicular assault, reckless driving, public intoxication and marijuana possession. She is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

The 4-year-old boy in the front passenger seat was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in critical condition while a 3-year-old girl in the backseat was taken in non-critical condition. The 4-year-old remained in critical condition Thursday morning, hospital officials said.

Cavitch allegedly told police she drank a half-bottle of vodka. Cops also found 10 grams of pot in her purse.

read more here > Mother charged with DUI in Memphis wreck; 4-year-old in critical condition » The Commercial Appeal.

Nashville, Tenn. – 3 Doors Down bassist charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication | cbsnews.com

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Robert Todd Harrell

Bassist Robert Todd Harrell of the rock band 3 Doors Down has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication after an interstate crash claimed the life of another motorist in the Nashville area, police said.

The 41-year-old musician remained jailed early Sunday in connection with the fatal collision late Friday night on Interstate 40 that left 47-year-old Paul Howard Shoulders Jr. dead, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.

A police statement said a preliminary investigation showed Harrell was driving west at a high rate of speed in the Nashville suburb of Hermitage when his car clipped a pickup truck driven by Shoulders. Police said the pickup then went out of control, struck a guardrail, went down an embankment and overturned. Shoulders was ejected.

read more here > 3 Doors Down bassist Robert Todd Harrell charged in fatal road crash – CBS News.

Dunlap, TN: City commissioner charged with second DUI in three months | timesfreepress.com

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A Dunlap, Tenn., commissioner has been arrested for the second time on charges of driving under the influence, according to Dunlap police.

Commissioner Dan Barker was arrested Tuesday night after he was involved in a minor car accident, according to Dunlap Police Sgt. Randy Phillips. Barker was previously arrested on a DUI charge September.

This time, Barker rear-ended another vehicle and officers reported smelling alcohol on Barker’s breath. After failing a field sobriety test, Barker was arrested.

Barker told police that a cup sitting in his car was full of vodka and tomato juice, Phillips said.

Phillips said he was unsure if Barker’s arrest would affect his duties as a city commissioner.

Barker could not be reached for comment Friday.

via Dunlap police arrest commissioner for DUI | timesfreepress.com.

McKenzie, TN: Bethel coach Britt charged with DWI | upi.com

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Jeff Britt

Jeff Britt, coach of the Bethel University men’s basketball team, a Division II school in Tennessee, was arrested for drunk driving, police said.

Jeff Britt,who has coached the team for 13 seasons, was pulled over by Weakley County sheriff’s deputies who said Britt’s vehicle was swerving. They found Britt inside with an open container of alcohol at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, WBBJ-TV, Jackson, reported.

Britt was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, having an open container and failing to maintain his lane. He is being held in lieu of $1,500 bond, the TV station reported.

via Bethel coach Britt charged with DWI – UPI.com.

Elizabethton, TN: 20-year-old arrested in fatal August crash; Vehicular Homicide (Intoxication) charged | timesnews.net

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Micah Alexander Cates

Lab results indicated a man driving a car at the time of a fatal crash on Milligan Highway in mid-August was intoxicated, and he was charged with vehicular homicide in the case Tuesday, according to police.

Elizabethton police charged Micah Alexander Cates, 20, 128 Patrick Henry Lane, Elizabethton, with vehicular homicide (intoxication). Cates was the driver of a 2002 BMW that struck the sign pole at Milligan Grocery, 1518 Milligan Highway, just before 2 a.m. Aug. 14.

Cates was taken to Johnson City Medical Center with serious injuries. His passenger, Tanner Lee Perkins, 20, Elizabethton, was pronounced dead at the scene.

via Elizabethton man arrested in fatal August crash – Kingsport Times-News.

Clarksville, TN: School principal charged with DUI | theleafchronicle.com

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Eduard Stevens

Eduard Stevens

A principal was arrested and charged Saturday morning in relation to a DUI.

The Alternative School principal, Eduard Michael Stevens, 55, was seen on radar by police driving 65 mph in a 45 mph hour zone on Fort Campbell Blvd, and his truck was observed swerving in all three southbound lanes, according to a police report.

A traffic stop was initiated and Stephens smelled of alcohol and had difficulty answering questions, according to the report. He also had a handgun in his possession.

He admitted having two rum and cokes but failed his field sobriety test, according to the report.

Stephens, who gave a 4029 Sawmill Road address, was charged with DUI and possession of a handgun while under the influence. His bond was set at $750, according to the report. He was released the same day.

Clinton, TN: Man notches 7th DUI, this one on lawn mower, nets 2 years in prison | SFGate

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Lonnie Michael Haney

Lonnie Michael Haney

It was Lonnie Michael Haney’s seventh drunken driving conviction that got him sent to prison. It was on a lawn mower.

Anderson County District Attorney Dave Clark told The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/NJfVPw ) the court sent Haney “back to ‘Go,’” a reference to the board game Monopoly.

In a plea bargain Monday, the 48-year-old Haney pleaded guilty in exchange for a two-year sentence and $3,000 in fines.

An Anderson County deputy, who knew Haney’s driving license had been suspended, saw him on a John Deere riding mower on the shoulder of a road in Oak Ridge in August 2010. The deputy said Haney’s speech was slurred, his eyes bloodshot and he didn’t do well in field sobriety tests.

Haney must serve 30 percent of his term before release.

via Man notches 7tn DUI, this one on lawn mower – SFGate.

Fort Campbell, KY: Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt charged with DUI | usatoday.com

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Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt was taken into custody early Friday morning at Fort Campbell (Ky.) and charged with driving under the influence.

Fort Campbell officials say Britt was attempting to enter the Army post at approximately 3:30 a.m. through Gate 4.

He was administered a field sobriety test, which showed indicators of intoxication, according to Bob Jenkins, director of public affairs at Fort Campbell.

Britt later refused a breathalyzer test and was charged with DUI and implied consent.

It’s Britt’s eighth incident involving police since he was drafted in the first round in 2009.

via Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt charged with DUI.

Lafayette, TN: Parents Say Drunk Hit & Run Killed Their Unborn Baby | NewsChannel5.com

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Mary Jean Frances

Mary Jean Frances

A woman, more than 8 months pregnant said she lost her unborn baby because of a drunk driver who sped off after rear-ending her. It happened at a Macon County pharmacy drive through.

That was last Wednesday. On Sunday, Beverly Brown had to bury the baby she’s been waiting to meet. She delivered him as a still birth last week just hours after being rear-ended by a woman who police so was extremely intoxicated, and investigators say it wasn’t her first time drunk behind the wheel.

“I am still waiting to wake up from my dream from my nightmare it’s what it is…she took one of my babies” said Beverly Brown.

Brown said her world changed when 34-year-old Mary Jean Frances got behind the wheel intoxicated, without a license, and headed towards the Fred’s pharmacy drive thru in Lafayette. pharmacy drive through.

First police said Frances drove into a pole. She never stopped, and continued into the back of Brown’s jeep, which was sitting in park. About 15 minutes later Brown felt her baby kick but she never thought it would be the last time.

“They said they could hear a faint heart beat but it was mine,” she recalled after she was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night.

24 hours later Brown held her son for the first time without hearing him cry or looking into his eyes. He was born as a stillbirth.

“I just told him how much I loved him, and how sorry I was that this happened to him,” she said.

But Jacob’s father, Ryan Jones,  said the only person who should be sorry is Frances.

The accident marks her third DUI charge and sixth time driving without a revoked  license.

“I think she should very much be accountable for it,” said Jones.

read more here > Parents Say Drunk Hit & Run Killed Their Unborn Baby – NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports.

Melvin, KY: Teen dies in hit-and-run crash involving suspected drunk driver | Kentucky.com

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A Floyd County teen died when his motorcycle was hit early Thursday by a man who allegedly was driving drunk, according to Kentucky State Police.

A preliminary investigation indicates that Alex Mullins, 18, was driving a miniature sport motorcycle on Ky. 122 in the Melvin community in Floyd County when the motorcycle was hit by a vehicle that left the scene, state police said in a news release.

The accident was reported to police at 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

Mullins was taken to the Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn., where he was pronounced dead.

Police determined that the vehicle that left the scene was a 2004 Saturn SUV, and that Chester D. Hunter, 26, of Melvin, was driving it at the time, according to the news release.

Police initially charged Hunter with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to render aid after an accident and other traffic offenses. The case remains under investigation.

via Floyd teen dies in hit-and-run crash involving suspected drunk driver | Public Safety | Kentucky.com.

Murfreesboro, TN: Siegel hoops coach arrested for DUI, Refusal | dnj.com

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Ben Dotson

Siegel boys basketball coach Ben Dotson was arrested for DUI and refusing to take a blood alcohol test late Saturday night.

Dotson has led Siegel to two state tournament appearances in three seasons as head coach. He declined comment to The Daily News Journal when reached by phone Tuesday morning.

Dotson, 41, was found at fault in a car crash on Hwy. 231 North in front of the V.A. Golf Course, according to a Murfreesboro Police arrest report. The arresting officer, Trey Mansfield, reported that Dotson had “slurred speech (and) red and watery eyes”, as well as a “strong odor of an intoxicating beverage on Mr. Dotson’s breath and unsteady on his feet.”

Dotson was given three field sobriety tests, but failed each one, according to the MPD report.

In addition to DUI, Dotson was charged with violation of implied consent law for refusing to take a blood alcohol test during booking into the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department.

Dotson’s bond was $1,500. Court date is July 24.

read more here > Siegel hoops coach arrested for DUI | The Daily News Journal | dnj.com.

Hamblen Co., TN (UPDATED – See comment thread): Father of 12 killed in crash by suspected drunken driver | Knoxville News Sentinel

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Danny Lynn Musick

Danny Musick

A repeat DUI offender is suspected of driving drunk again — this time causing a fatal Hamblen County crash that authorities say killed a father of 12.

Morristown Police Department officials say Danny Lynn Musick, 52, of Morristown, was driving a white Dodge Caravan northbound Friday night in the southbound lane on Highway 160 just south of Union Heights Elementary School when his vehicle collided with a Mazda 626 driven by William Vradenburgh, 56, of Mohawk, Tenn.

William 'Bill' Vradenburgh, 56, of Mohawk, Tenn. was killed in a two-vehicle crash June 15, 2012.

William “Bill” Vradenburgh

Vradenburgh, who worked for Walmart Distribution Center and was a part-time employee of Azimuth Engineering, was pronounced dead at the scene following the head-on crash took place just before 7:55 p.m.

Musick, who Morristown police said Tuesday is a habitual motor vehicle offender who previously has been arrested for DUI, was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with “serious injuries.”

On Tuesday, he was in the intensive care unit in critical condition, said MPD Detective Travis Stansell.

“The investigation is still ongoing, but it does appear that alcohol was a factor,” Stansell said. “Charges are pending as we await toxicology results.”

Musick was charged in 2000 with DUI and for driving on a revoked license, said Hamblen County Jail Sgt. Gerry Hambrick. He’s also been behind bars on charges of violating the implied consent law, resisting arrest, failure to appear, vandalism and evading arrest.

read more here > Man killed in suspected DUI crash leaves 12 children, 13 grandchildren » Knoxville News Sentinel.

Knoxville, TN: Recent UT grad charged in triple-fatal hit-and-run; has previous DUI conviction | wbir.com

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Curtis Scott Harper

A Middle Tennessee man is now in custody and charged in a Knoxville hit-and-run crash that killed three people.

According to the Knoxville Police Department, a Knox County grand jury met Wednesday and returned a six-count indictment against Curtis Scott Harper, 22, a recent University of Tennessee graduate.

He is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, and one count each of DUI, tampering with evidence, and reckless endangerment.

Nelson Soto Sr.

Harper turned himself in at the Knoxville Police Department at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. He will be held at the Knox County Detention Center on a $300,000 bond.

Harper’s attorney, James W. Price of Nashville, says he hopes to arrange for his client’s release either by paying the bond or having it reduced, considering Harper only recently graduated from UT.

Price also said Harper will enter a not guilty plea at his arraignment.

Chasity Thornell

Last Wednesday, just after 1:30 a.m., 24-year-old Chasity Thornell, who was seven months pregnant, and 45-year-old Nelson Soto Sr., were struck and killed while standing alongside Washington Pike. Thornell was there to help a friend who had run out of gas. According to police, the two were struck while she was giving Soto a thank-you hug.

read more here > Recent UT grad charged in triple-fatal hit-and-run; has previous DUI conviction | wbir.com.

Clarksville, TN: Suspected drunk driver tells police he stole the truck because his friends left him at the bar. | tennessean.com

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A building supply truck that police believe was stolen by a drunk driver crashed into a house early Monday in Clarksville and overturned in the front yard.

Christopher Harlan Taylor, 21, of 199 Dalewood Drive in Clarksville, was arrested after police found a wallet with his identification in the truck at the scene of the crash that tore a large portion of the home’s front brick.

Taylor was found at his residence a few blocks away from the location of the crash at 121 Bluegrass Road. Taylor allegedly had a cut that appeared to be recent, torn shorts and an odor of alcohol, police said. He refused a sobriety test.

Taylor told police he was left at a bar intoxicated without a ride home. After a failed attempt to hotwire a pickup truck, he hopped a fenced area and drove the truck through a locked gate, police said.

The truck’s value was estimated at around $50,000.

Taylor was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, vehicle burglary and felony vandalism. He was held on a $32,000 bond.

Police also stated Taylor was being held because he was reported as Absent Without Leave from the Air National Guard in Smyrna.

via Nashville area crime report 05/29/2012 | The Tennessean | tennessean.com.

Roan Mountain, TN: Man’s 13th DUI offense to be heard by grand jury (and maybe a few guys in a cell)

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James P. Chambers

A Carter County man who crashed his vehicle in a Roan Mountain parking lot in March will have his 13th DUI offense heard by the Carter County grand jury.

James Paul Chambers, 54, of 679 Tiger Creek Road, Roan Mountain, appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Tuesday to face charges of 13th offense DUI and habitual motor offender. Judge John Walton sent the case to the grand jury. He is represented by the public defender’s office.

In March, Deputy James Stevens of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department said he was called to 8361 Highway 19E in Roan Mountain, Bob’s Dairy Land, in reference to a two-vehicle accident. He spoke to Brian Hugh Shell, who said he was eating inside the restaurant when he heard a loud noise. Shell then looked outside and saw a black and green Ford pickup had backed into his parked pickup.

full story here > Roan Mountain man’s 13th DUI offense to be heard by grand jury- Kingsport Times-News.