Authorities look for driver who caused accident at memorial
By Chloe Morrisonchloem@thedailytimes.com
Originally published: November 16. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: November 15. 2009 10:28PM
Maryville resident Larry Stevens was at Chilhowee Lake Sunday to remember a friend who died last week when "all hell broke loose."
Stevens was at a memorial for his long-time friend Maryville resident Ricky Lee Carver, 57, who died Nov. 7, and loved cars and motorcycles. There were dozens of motorcycles and classic cars and hundreds of people at the event, Stevens said.
"We were having a big cook out, remembering good times and all of a sudden this happened," he said.
Stevens said he had only been at the event for about 15 minutes when a man in a late 60s model Ford Mustang was "doing a burn out," which involves spinning the tires on the car. The driver lost control and hit about five cars, including Stevens'.
"His accelerator hung on the car," Stevens said. "Something happened to the car. It took them for a ride."
Trooper James Dalton with the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to the accident, but the driver of the Mustang was already gone, he said.
Dalton wrote a police report and talked to witnesses -- who corroborate Stevens' account of the incident -- but Dalton hasn't been able to get in touch with the driver to find out more about the situation.
"They were side-by-side drag racing this one Mustang got to burning his tires," Dalton said. "Some say the throttle stuck."
Stevens and Dalton said the driver may have hurt his arm, but Dalton said he looked for him at Blount Memorial Hospital and the University of Tennessee's Medical Center and couldn't find him.
Dalton left the driver a message and said he needs to hear back from him.
"He is definitely going to be charged with the wreck," Dalton said. "If I don't hear from him tonight I'm going to take a warrant out for his arrest."
Stevens said the sight of the accident was all too familiar for him.
"On July 4, 1973 I saw the same thing happen and a girl got killed in the wreck," he said. "I was having flashbacks. It was like I went back in time. A girl lost her life and I was afraid that was going to happen again."
Stevens said he is thankful that no one got hurt.
"It could have been a bad day," he said.
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