MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol states it’s unknown if Latricia Taylor was consuming alcohol before Sunday’s fatal crash.
According to a THP spokesman, a dispatcher checked a box saying Taylor had been consuming alcohol on a report that was filed Sunday afternoon.
“The investigative trooper found evidence of alcohol possession at scene,” Sgt. Chris Richardson wrote in an email. “Given the location of the crash, there was an assumption made. That assumption was mistakenly given to dispatch who then placed it on the report.”
Two days later, a new report was filed that changed the answer to the question if Taylor had been drinking from “yes” to “unknown.”
Investigators say Taylor was driving Southbound on the Northbound side of I-269 near Highway 57 early Sunday morning. Taylor hit a tractor-trailer head-on. She and three children were killed.
Sgt. Richardson said THP will wait until the blood test results come back from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to determine if Taylor was under the influence.
However, the TBI said it has not yet received Taylor’s blood sample. A TBI spokeswoman also said that the average turnaround time on blood alcohol tests is nearly four months, though a rush can be requested by a district attorney. So far, the TBI said it has not received a rush request from the DA in Shelby County or Fayette County.
THP also changed the location of the crash from Fayette County to Shelby County on the report. It is unclear why the location changed.
Both reports show neither Taylor nor the three children were wearing seatbelts.
