A White Pine, Tennessee, man faces charges of attempted first-degree murder following a vehicle collision that left a pedestrian critically injured. The incident, detailed in a social media post by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.
Deputies were sent to Wheeler Road at 01:02 A.M. after a call reported the accident. The first responders, officers from the White Pine Police Department, found a male, unidentified at the time, lying on the road. The vehicle implicated had fled the scene. With the White Pine Fire Department’s and Jefferson County EMS's help, now lying critically but stable in the UT Medical Center, the patient received treatment and an emergency airlift. The suspect, meanwhile, was found at a Main Street location in White Pine following evidence and threatening statements about the victim made before the collision.
In a follow-up investigation, officers with search warrants secured the property, culminating in the arrest of James W. Locklear, aged 51, charged with the said crime. He is currently detained at the Jefferson County Detention Center. Locklear’s relationship to the victim and the motive behind the incident have not been fully disclosed at this time.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office expressed gratitude toward the assisting agencies, including the White Pine Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. As the victim continues to fight for his life at UT Medical Center, further details concerning the cause and circumstances of this harrowing event are anticipated to come to light.
