MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Blount County Sheriff's Office arrested a man who fled the scene following a fatal crash on Cunningham Road West on May 14.
According to BCSO, on Friday night, deputies arrested Jeremy Valentine, 31, and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident with injury (felony).
The investigation revealed that Charles Clark, 75, was driving east on Cunningham Road West in Seymour when a truck that was heading west crossed the centerline, striking his car head-on and then fled the scene, according to BCSO.
Clark and his wife, Theresa Clark, 71, were taken to U.T. Medical Center. Theresa was treated and released, but Charles died due to his injuries Wednesday evening, BCSO said.
Multiple Blount County deputies worked together, along with other law enforcement agencies, to solve the case. Their investigation later led them to find the truck which led them to Valentine as the owner of the truck and the suspect in the hit-and-run, according to BCSO.
Deputies took Valentine into custody Friday evening at a location on Tipton Station Road. They also located his damaged pick-up truck at an automobile body shop in Knoxville, according to police.
“I am very pleased we were able to identify and arrest the person who was responsible for this tragic accident,” Sheriff Berrong said. “Several deputies worked long hours throughout the week, following up on multiple leads, to identify the suspect and the vehicle in this hit-and-run accident."
Valentine is being held in the Blount County Correctional Facility on a $150,000 bond pending a hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. May 22. Additional charges could be forthcoming, BCSO said.
