Maryville man dies in Monroe accident

By Mark Boxley
of The Daily Times Staff

A Maryville man was killed early Tuesday in a one-vehicle wreck in Monroe County.
According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper S.F. Holcomb, James P. Needham, 68, Morningside Drive, Maryville, was driving east on Sweetwater Vonore Road (Tenn. 322) when his 1990 Ford pickup truck left the roadway and hit a concrete bridge rail just before 8:48 a.m.

There were no skid marks leading up to the accident scene and it did not appear that Needham had attempted to stop before the impact, Holcomb said Tuesday. There were no witnesses to the accident, he said.

Needham was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. The first person on the scene was the driver of a tractor-trailer who apparently called 9-1-1.

Needham was taken to a hospital in Sweetwater where he was pronounced dead.
Blood was drawn from Needham and a toxicology report is pending — which is standard procedure in a fatal accident.

According to information from family members who came to the hospital after the accident, Needham had a history of medical problems, Holcomb said.

According to information from THP, Needham also has an address listed in Madisonville.