A 29-year old La Follette woman died in what authorities describe as a self motivated fatality late Tuesday night.Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Darryl Chapman outlines that the call of a blue Dodge Caravan driving into Norris Lake at a fast rate of speed came in to E-911 Dispatch at 10 pm Tuesday night.  Witnesses say the incident happened at the boat ramp at Powell Valley Marina east of La Follette.

Deputies Brian Nelson and Anthony Branam were the first law enforcement personnel on the scene.  Chapman goes on to say that a private citizen dove to the bottom of the lake and managed to open one of the van’s doors.  But that was all.  He then returned to the van tying a rope to it and pulling it with a tractor to shallow water.  Chapman says that 29-year old Amanda S. Ward of Back Valley Road in La Follette was helped from the van, and then several people kept CPR going until medical personnel arrived.

It was later learned by Sergeant Cody Chapman that Ward passed away at the La Follette Medical Center.

CCSD Detective Lieutenant John Long assisted in the investigation and details that Ward had apparently been alone and  drove off in the van by herself.  It’s being described as a self motivated fatality.

Officials cleared the scene just before 1 AM on Wednesday.

Ward was arrested for Public Intoxication and Indecent Exposure last Saturday afternoon on Back Valley Road.  The arresting officer,  Corporal Gary Jeffers, described Ward as being under the influence of an unknown substance.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/15/2018-10:15AM)