KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — The 20-year-old man who was riding in a stolen pickup that collided last month with and killed a Blaine couple is now being sought for questioning about a vehicle theft in Jefferson County.
Austin Wade Tipton was a passenger in a stolen 1999 Chevrolet on Sept. 10 that hit Ruben and Belinda Wilson head-on on Mascot Road. The Wilsons died in the crash and their 4-year-old granddaughter suffered injuries.
Tipton also suffered injuries for which he was treated and released from University of Tennessee Medical Center. The stolen pickup driver, 15-year-old Mekiah T. Davis, spent several weeks at UT Medical Center and has now been charged with first-degree murder in Knox County Juvenile Court in the deaths of the Wilsons.
Authorities haven't revealed what role Tipton may have had in the theft of the Chevrolet that Davis was driving. They haven't said how Tipton knew Davis, who appeared Wednesday morning in Juvenile Court and was a runaway from state custody.
Tipton hasn't been charged in Knox County.
On Friday, Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey confirmed Tipton also is now wanted for questioning in the theft of a Wolfe Tree Service truck.
He also is wanted for a probation violation in Sevier County, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Tipton has a Kodak address. He's 5 feet 6 inches and weighs about 160 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call Jefferson County Sheriff's Detective Robby McMahan at 865-471-6000, extension 1109.
