A motorcyclist is facing charges following a police pursuit that resulted in a wreck in Anderson County on Sunday after an officer fired bullets while pursuing the motorcycle from Kentucky.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s preliminary crash report, the accident occurred on I-75 South near Exit 122 in Anderson County. The collision occurred when a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle attempted to evade police and came to a halt in the lane. A 2023 Ford Explorer driven by an Anderson County deputy followed the motorbike and collided with it. Both the motorcycle and the Ford came to an uncontrolled stop on the right shoulder of the road.
According to the report, the motorcyclist’s name is Richard E. Cantrell, and he is facing several accusations, including failure to exercise due care, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance. According to jail records, Cantrell faces accusations of reckless endangerment, avoiding arrest, and careless driving.
According to Anderson County General Sessions Court arrest warrants, a Rocky Top police officer noticed the biker before to the incident. When the officer tried to halt the motorcycle, it reportedly accelerated to speeds of more than 100 mph in a 65 mph zone. According to the warrant, Rocky Top police officers continued to follow the motorbike until Anderson County deputies joined the pursuit between mile marks 126 and 122 of I-75.
The Rocky Top officers began to disengage from the pursuit soon before the crash near the mile marker 122 off-ramp, according to the warrants. The officer who authored the affidavit included in the warrant stated that the motorcyclist was transported to UT Medical Centre for an evaluation of probable injuries.
Previously, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation stated that it was investigating an officer-involved shooting on I-75 in Campbell County. According to the TBI, a Williamsburg, Kentucky police officer attempted to stop a motorcyclist who was speeding along I-75, but the vehicle did not stop and continued into Tennessee.
According to the TBI, the biker came to a sudden stop at mile marker 158 in Campbell County before to the crash. According to the agency, the motorcycle then backed into the officer’s vehicle and drove north in the southbound lanes. According to the TBI, the officer fired bullets for reasons that are still being investigated, but the vehicle continued to drive away, prompting law authorities in Tennessee to search for the biker.
Reference: Motorcyclist charged after KY police chase ends in crash on I-75
