A 61-year-old Kingsport businessman was killed in a hit-and-run on June 23 in Colonial Heights, according to a recent report. The man, a former Tennessee state representative, was struck by a GMC at 8 p.m. while he was placing a campaign sign on the shoulder of the Fort Henry Drive bridge.
Prior to the fatal accident, the driver who allegedly caused the crash was involved in a minor incident at a package store. According to the report, as the man was leaving the store, he drove his vehicle onto the curb, striking a pedestal ashtray and a wall before leaving the parking lot.
As he fled the scene of the first accident, after traveling about a mile, his vehicle left designated lanes of traffic and struck the victim. The 61-year-old was thrown off the bridge and fell about 20 feet into a ravine. The driver fled the scene and was found stopped on the shoulder of the exit ramp to Memorial Boulevard by another motorist. That individual stopped to inspect the scene and took the keys away from the driver.
When police arrived, they took the driver into custody on a number of charges, including vehicular homicide by intoxication and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision involving a fatality. The report says that officers were planning to hold him until he was arraigned.
The death of the 61-year-old man might present his dependents with financial difficulty. The victim’s family may be forced to pay for funeral and burial costs while dealing with the loss of the man’s financial support. However, those damages might be reimbursed in court at the end of a successful wrongful death lawsuit. The victim’s family might consider consulting with a personal injury attorney if they plan to pursue that action in court.
Source: Times News, “Kingsport businessman Michael K. Locke killed in hit-and-run incident”, Wes Bunch, June 24, 2014
