A Texas truck driver charged in the Thursday death of Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Chris Jenkins is being held in the Roane County Jail on $1 million bond.
Christopher M. Savannah of Houston is charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, two counts of reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, simple possession, possession of a handgun under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and other traffic charges.
Sgt. Paul Clendenen, public information officer for Tennessee Highway Patrol in Knoxville, said Monday that the driver, truck and trailer were placed out of service due to the driver not having any logs for duty status, insufficient brakes on the truck and a flat tire on the trailer. All are violations of federal statutes governing commercial motor vehicles, he said.
Roane County General Sessions Court Judge Terry Stevens II set the bond Monday after reviewing findings presented by the 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, including that Savannah is charged with serious felonies with sentences up to 30 years, has no ties to Loudon County or Tennessee and had a previous failure to appear on a moving violation in his home state.
There is also proof Savannah was operating a commercial motor vehicle but no proof or history of employment. There were doubts as to whether he was even legally permitted to operate a commercial vehicle at the time of the incident.
Stevens ruled that should Savannah, who is being represented by a public defender, post bond that he will have a GPS bracelet and transdermal monitor installed.
Jenkins was attempting to remove a ladder from Interstate 75 when struck by the semitrailer driven by Savannah.
THP Trooper Paul Dubroc reported being dispatched at 8:01 a.m. Thursday to a vehicle crash with an unresponsive officer around mile marker 74 on I-75. Dubroc arrived on the scene and confirmed the deputy had been killed in the crash.
Savannah was still in the driver’s seat of the 2013 Freightliner, according to the report.
Evidence at the crash scene showed that two other vehicles were involved.
The semitrailer struck the rear of a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by Brittany Cook in the left lane, then swerved to the right and crossed the center line.
The semitrailer then hit Jenkins when he was exiting the patrol vehicle. The truck traveled off the roadway into the guard rail. The Ford Fusion struck a Nissan Pathfinder driven by Donald E. McCormick.
Dubroc reported that Savannah was cooperative and consented to a Standardized Field Sobriety test. He denied drinking or taking any illegal substances or medicines. He stated that he took vitamins only.
During testing, Savannah could not keep his balance. He started too soon, took the incorrect number of steps, did not turn as instructed and stopped after the turn to start his second set of steps, according to the report.
THP Sgt. Robert Woody and Trooper Mathew Armes reported smelling an odor of marijuana coming from the semitrailer. Woody searched the vehicle and located marijuana and drug paraphernalia. LCSO Deputy John Mays also conducted a Drug Recognition Expert evaluation and determined Savannah was under the influence of marijuana.
Multiple agencies are investigating the event, including the THP Critical Incident Response Team, THP Criminal Incident Response Team and the 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, D.A. Russell Johnson said.
Johnson said there were multiple witnesses of the crash, including someone who said she saw a ladder fall from a white vehicle that exited the interstate at Sugarlimb Road at exit 76.
Sonny Beason, 35, of Loudon County was identified by THP’s Criminal Investigation Division — with help from agents with the 9th District Crimes Task Force and other local agencies — as the driver of a white utility truck carrying an orange fiberglass ladder that was unsecured in the bed. The ladder was seen coming out of the truck. Various drivers called in the hazard and two vehicles hit the ladder before Jenkins was able to respond.
Beason has been charged with driving on a suspended driver’s license and three counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment. Bond was set at $8,500, and Beason was taken to the Monroe County Jail.
