A fatal collision occurred on Alcoa Highway last Saturday evening, resulting in the death of 45-year-old Jose Ramos and leaving two others with serious injuries. As reported by WATE, the Alcoa Police Department (APD) shared that the incident happened near the Green Acres Flea Market when a white 2003 Toyota Avalon, driven by Ramos, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes and crashed head-on with a 2019 gray Nissan Altima.

The wrong-way driver was subsequently rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries. According to a statement reported by WVLT, the other car involved was carrying 19-year-old Aden Brown and Casey Claiborne, who were both taken to the same hospital with serious injuries but have since been released. APD believes that alcohol may have contributed directly to this tragic accident.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, an officer from the APD, who happened to be in the vicinity, attempted to catch up to the Avalon before witnessing the collision. "The officer attempted to catch up to the vehicle and reported that the vehicle had crashed with another car, a 2019 gray Nissan Altima, in a head-on manner," the APD stated, per the WVLT report.

The Alcoa Police Department is actively seeking information from witnesses or anyone with knowledge about the circumstances leading to the collision. They urge anyone with information to come forward and contact Lieutenant Stevenson at (865) 380-4918 or via email at [email protected].