|
Kingsport Police Department
200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) |
|
|
| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Employees of Same Car Wash Strike Co-Workers with Customers’ Vehicles in Two Separate Crashes | ||
| DATE: | March 18, 2016 | ||
| CASE #: | 16-004947 (3/10/2016 Crash)
16-005604 (3/18/2016 Crash) |
||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| Crash Investigators from the Kingsport Police Department Traffic Unit have responded to the same car wash in the Colonial Heights area of Kingsport twice in just over a week in reference to two separate but very similar crashes. In both crashes, an employee of Southern Classic Car Wash, located at 4264 Fort Henry Drive, struck a co-worker in the parking lot with a customer’s vehicle. Furthermore, neither driver had a valid driver license. The two investigations revealed the following:
On March 10, 2016 at approximately 8:50 AM, employee Dwane Larry Whitfield, Jr. was pulling a customer’s 2007 Ford F-150 out of the wash bay into a drying area when he struck fellow employee Ronald S. Herndon who was working in the drying area. Mr. Herndon was pushed forward and pinned between the truck and a dirt embankment. Mr. Herndon sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Holston Valley Medical Center by Sullivan County E.M.S. for emergency treatment. Mr. Whitfield’s driver license was classified as revoked at the time of the crash. Due to the seriousness of injuries inflicted upon his co-worker, investigators requested that Mr. Whitfield submit to a blood test. He consented, with the resultant sample being sent to the T.B.I. Crime Lab for analysis. Eight days later, on March 18, 2016 at approximately 2:25 PM, employee David Wayne Tyree was pulling a customer’s 2011 Ford Econoline E-350 out of the same wash bay into the same drying area when he struck fellow employee Christopher S. Crawford who was working in the drying area. After striking Mr. Crawford, the van struck two vehicles, a 2012 Ford Fusion and a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado. The van continued over the aforementioned dirt embankment and came to a rest after striking two more vehicles, a 1997 Honda Accord and a 2007 Honda Accord. Mr. Crawford sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Holston Valley Medical Center by Sullivan County E.M.S. for emergency treatment. Mr. Tyree’s driver license was classified as suspended at the time of the crash. Due to the seriousness of injuries inflicted upon his co-worker, investigators requested that Mr. Tyree submit to a blood test. He consented, with the resultant sample being sent to the T.B.I. Crime Lab for analysis. Both crashes remain under investigation by the K.P.D. Traffic Unit with charges pending. Once the results are received from the T.B.I. Crime Lab and the two investigations are complete, the Investigators will consult with the Office of the Sullivan County District Attorney to determine what charges will be warranted in each crash. |
|||
| COLLISION VEHICLE INFORMATION (First Crash) | ||
| Make | Ford | |
| Model | F-150 | |
| Year | 2007 | |
| Type | Full-Size Pickup Truck | |
| Color | Red | |
| Damage | Functional Damage | |
| Driver | Name | Dwane Larry Whitfield, Jr. |
| Age | 37 Years of Age | |
| Gender/Race | Male/White | |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN | |
| Injuries | None | |
| Charge(s) | Pending | |
| PEDESTRIAN INFORMATION (First Crash) | |
| Name | Ronald S. Herndon |
| Age | 56 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/White |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN |
| Injuries | Serious but Non-Life Threatening |
| COLLISION VEHICLE INFORMATION (Second Crash) | ||
| Make | Ford | |
| Model | Econoline E-350 | |
| Year | 2011 | |
| Type | Full-Size Commercial Van | |
| Color | White | |
| Damage | Functional Damage | |
| Driver | Name | David Wayne Tyree |
| Age | 22 Years of Age | |
| Gender/Race | Male/White | |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN | |
| Injuries | None | |
| Charge(s) | Pending | |
| PEDESTRIAN INFORMATION (Second Crash) | |
| Name | Christopher S. Crawford |
| Age | 38 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/White |
| Residency | Church Hill, TN |
| Injuries | Serious but Non-Life Threatening |
| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
 |
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit |
|
