Traffic Fatalities down; Pedestrian Crash fatalities on rise

On this last day of April it is nice to be able to report that our traffic fatalities are down by about 19% compared to last year at this time. We have lost 254 persons on our roadways in 2013. An area of concern is pedestrian fatalities. We have lost 29 pedestrians as compared to 21 last year at this time. The county with the largest reduction is Obion. They have lost two people this year, but had already lost ten at this time last year. Persons we lost in April are listed below. May they rest in peace.

Earl Strange, 79, Lafollette, Tn

Richard Wiles, 46, Lewisburg;

Authur Bell, 76 Stantonville;

Julio Anleu, 63, New Castle, Pa;

Gracia Anleu, 95, New Castle, Pa;

Earl Swallos, 62, Old Fort;

Jayla Moffett, 20, Knoxville;

Grant Knighton, 48, Collierville;

Roy Johnson, 74, Fayetteville;

Mary Ann Patton, 54, Cherokee, Al;

Jimmy Bynum, 61, Huntingdon;

Sierra Sullivan, 21, Oak Ridge;

Daniel Dotson, 33, LaVergne;

Gabriel Dalton, 30, Seymour;

James Hartsock, 40, Bulls Gap;

Bradley Reeves, 47, Scotts Hill;

Homer Wright, 76, Clarksville;

Ronald Blakenship, 45, Westmoreland;

Daniel Caldwell, 32, Rock Island;

James West, 58, Wartburg;

Bobby Flarity, 21, Chattanooga;

Morgan Ramos, 23, Morristown;

Marion Sanders, 48, Cedar Grove;

William Rogers, 74, Hiwassee, Ga;

Judith Rogers, 73, Hiwassee, Ga;

Andrew Svgdik, 19, Cordova;

Kimberly Ricardson, 50, Linden;

Jacob Ownby, 21, Tellico Plains;

Eddie Marvin, 61, Maynardville;

Monday Schreiber, 35, White Bluff;

Christy Hiland, 22, Lafayette;

Roger Sutton, 50, Trenton;

Dreyson Stewart, 19, Powell;

Sandra Anderson, 40, Gruetli Lager;

Urain Meyers, 48, Memphis;

Dinah Springfield, 43, Memphis;

Richard Fields, 65, Memphis;

Doris Wilson, 50, Memphis;

Gregory Redd, 55, Memphis

Donald Bonds, 51, Memphis

DUI Reorganization

The new DUI law is now Public Chapter 154. Copy it at:
http://www.tn.gov/sos/acts/108/pub/pc0154.pdf

Be aware this will be amended as soon as the new Ignition Interlock law is signed by the Governor. It amends this.

Ignition Interlock law passes

The new Ignition Interlock law has passed both Houses and has been sent to the Governor. The law is HB 353 with House Amendments 2 and 3.

Hit and Run jury convicts

In Knoxville a jury has convicted defendant, Curtis Harper, for three counts of vehicular homicide. Congratulations go to Knox County DUI prosecutor, Sarah Keith and her team. Please remember the victims, Nelzon A. Soto, 45, Chasity Elaine Thornell, 24, and her unborn daughter.
Read about the case in the Knoxville News Sentinel at:
Jury convicts Curtis Scott Harper in triple fatal hit-and-run » Knoxville News Sentinel

See photo at:

Curtis Scott Harper found guilty : Knoxville Photo Galleries : Knoxville News Sentinel: Local Knoxville, Tennessee News Delivered Throughout the Day.

See more from WBIR with an excellent comment from Sara Keith at:
 Curtis Harper was found guilty Wednesday of 11 counts of vehicular homicide, DUI, | wbir.com

3 year sentence for reckless vehicular homicide in Dyer County

Timothy Hipps, 34, of Halls pled guilty to reckless vehicular homicide in Dyer County and received a three year sentence. Hipps in 2011 drove into an 18 wheeler and his 10 year old passenger was killed. The penalty for a Class C reckless vehicular homicide for a standard range offender is 3-6 years.

Read more in the State Gazette at:
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1957891.html

New DUI Law Will begin July 1

The House unanimously passed the Reorganized new DUI law on April 1st!  All that is left is the Governor's signature. It will take effect July 1st. The law was proposed with the intent of reorganizing and clarifying our current law without making any significant changes. Items that were no longer relevant were removed, such a dates showing a provision would only effect convictions after 1994.
Other items were placed in sections, so that people who used the items can find them more easily. For instance, fees and disbursement of fees are all in the same section now. They are not scattered throughout the chapter.
For courtroom practitioners, all the relevant law is in the first 11 sections. After that the sections are most relevant to post judgment activities. Those include probation, DUI schools, Ignition Interlocks, Treatment, Disposition of Fines and the like.
As soon as the bills become a Public Chapter, they will be available on our website. In the meantime, they can be read at:
http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0186

Williamson County DUI Court

The Tennessean ran a complimentary article about the DUI Treatment Court in Williamson County. Congratulations to Judge Andre and all involved in their efforts to shut the revolving door of DUI Recidivism.
Read about the Court at:
DUI Court aims to change offenders' lives | The Tennessean | tennessean.com