JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Fourth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge O. Duane Slone was killed early Sunday after he was hit by a vehicle in Dandridge, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey.
The Sheriff told 10News that the judge had a flat tire and was walking along Highway 25/70 between Hammer and Spring Creek Roads when a passing vehicle hit him.
According to a crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a 2010 Ford Fusion hit and killed Slone while he was walking eastbound on E highway 25/70. According to THP, Slone walked out into the roadway where the Ford hit him.
THP said the crash occurred around 1:24 a.m.
Coffey said Slone's body was taken to the Regional Forensic Center in Knoxville for an autopsy.
Slone was first elected to the bench in 1998 and in 2009 he co-founded his judicial district's Drug Recovery Court.
According to the Tennessee Courts website, Slone was Chairman of the 8 State Appalachian-Midwest Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative, the Substance Misuse and Addiction Resources for Tennessee "SMART" Justice Network and the Tennessee Judicial Conference Problem Solving Court Committee.
Judge Slone was a circuit judge for Jefferson, Sevier, Cocke and Grainger Counties.
The National Center for State Courts said Slone won the NCSC's award for judicial excellence in 2019. This is one of the highest judicial honors in the country, according to the website.
The NCSC said Slone took an innovative approach to substance abuse cases by advocating for more screening, support and treatment. It said that approach helped people struggling with opioid use disorders.
“Judge Slone’s leadership in our nation’s battle against the opioid epidemic was truly remarkable,” NCSC President Mary McQueen said. “His family’s experience gave him a deep and very personal understanding of substance use and its lasting impacts.”
Sharon Lee, a retired Tennessee Supreme Court justice, posted to social media to speak about Slone.
"In 2019, Judge Duane Slone received the highest judicial award from Chief Justice Roberts. Judge Slone helped many people during his lifetime and set a high standard of excellence for judges," Lee said. "He left us too soon."