Tragedy struck Claiborne County on Wednesday night when a vehicle veered off the road and struck several trees, leading to two fatalities and two injuries. The Tennessee Highway Patrol confirmed the incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. along Old Highway 63 near Dan Bean Road. The car, a 2012 Subaru Tribeca, was eastbound when it left its lane and crashed, according to WBIR.
Authorities identified the driver as 18-year-old Dustin T. Jenkins Jr. and the deceased passenger as 33-year-old James Marsee. Reports from the scene indicated that neither Jenkins nor Marsee were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The other two passengers, identified as 23-year-old Preston Lemons and 18-year-old Andrew Holt, were injured in the accident. They were using seatbelts and were subsequently airlifted to a local hospital for treatment, as detailed by WATE.
As per the highway patrol's preliminary report, the specifics of the crash reveal that the vehicle went off the right side of the road, resulting in the vehicle's collision with several trees. The report led to the confirmation that upon the arrival of the emergency services, Jenkins and Marsee were pronounced dead at the crash site, as stated by WVLT.
