KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Fewer people will die and need autopsies if current trends hold up in Knox County, said Chris Thomas, the director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. The center investigates sudden, unexpected and unnatural deaths, its website said.
This year, homicides are at a low, Thomas said. In Knoxville, 10News has tracked fatal shooting victims over more than a decade. After a high in 2021, with 40 fatal shooting victims, 20 people have died in fatal shootings this year, data compiled from the Knoxville Police Department by 10News shows.
Thomas also said medical examiners are reporting a decrease in suicides, though they saw a "large number" in November of this year.
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen's office has reported 460 suspected overdose deaths in Knox County this year. At the same time last year, the office reported 502 suspected drug overdose deaths.
Despite all of the good news, Thomas said motor vehicle accident fatalities are higher this year than in years past. Data from the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security shows car and motorcycle deaths in Knox County reached a 13-year high this year before the year comes to an end. The department reported 67 car and motorcycle deaths, beating the previous high of 63, set in 2021.
"Many of the cases contain either alcohol above the legal limit or they have other drugs: fentanyl, methamphetamine and THC in their system," Thomas said.
Of the 47 people who died in crashes in cars, 25 of them weren't wearing seatbelts, data from the state shows. That's more than half.
Thomas said that data serves as a reminder — seatbelts save lives.