A La Follette man allegedly walked away from this wreck telling deputies he was asleep and did not remember wrecking.

PINECREST, TN (WLAF) – On Saturday night just before 9 pm, Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Weaver was dispatched to 419 Hiwassee View Drive in the Pinecrest community for an abandoned vehicle that had struck a tree and mailbox. Weaver soon found the crashed white Dodge truck that was registered to a Thomas Thompson of La Follette. However, Weaver saw no one at the wreck scene.

The deputy made contact with a person passing by that recognized the truck. According to the arrest report, the witness stated that they just left a house party at the end of Hiwassee View Drive, and Thompson had just walked back to the house party from the wreck. 

The truck hit a tree and took out mailbox according to the deputy’s report.

Deputy Weaver and Deputy Brett Starrett drove to 598 Hiwassee View Drive looking for Thompson. They reportedly found him in a bed covered in vomit with an odor of alcohol emitting from Thompson.  

The home owner, based on the report, verified that Thompson left the home in a pick-up truck and later came back appearing intoxicated. He added “Thompson did not have his truck when he returned and had injuries consistent with a crash.”

Thomas Thompson, age 25, of Selma Lane in La Follette remains in jail this afternoon.

Deputy Weaver placed the 25-year old Thompson under arrest and transported him back to the scene of the crash. Thompson refused to provide information regarding his involvement in the wreck saying he was asleep and did not remember according to Weaver’s report. Deputy Weaver inventoried the wrecked truck and located a Smith and Wesson pistol in the driver seat along with nine rounds of ammunition in the magazine.

Thompson was transported Campbell County Jail where he refused to perform a standard field sobriety test. Based on the report, Thompson would not consent to provide a sample of blood or breath for chemical alcohol testing.

The report of this wreck was called in before 9 pm on Saturday.

Thompson was booked into the Campbell County Jail and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, violation of implied consent, possession of a handgun under the influence, filing a false report and failure to exercise due care.

Thompson remains housed in the Campbell County Jail this afternoon on a $12,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court Tue., Feb. 9, 2021. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/14/2020-NOON)