KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Department of Justice said a 20-year-old man from Columbus, Ohio was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison on Thursday in Knoxville.
They said Bryce Allen Axline was intoxicated and driving recklessly in the Great Smoky Mountains on June 7, 2021. They said he crashed into an embankment on The Spur with two 19-year-old passengers in the car. They said one died shortly after the crash and another had life-altering injuries.
They said Axline was released from the hospital the day after for minor injuries. According to the National Park Service's analysis of the car's air bag module, the car was going at least 90 mph seconds before it crashed.
Axline was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution. He will also be on federal supervised release for three years after he is released from prison.
