A Maryville man has been ordered to serve nine years in prison after admitting to charges connected to a 2023 wreck that killed 33-year-old Aaron Dixon. William Grant Odom, 34, entered guilty pleas in Blount County Circuit Court on Wednesday and received his sentence from Judge Tammy M. Harrington. The case traces back to a three-vehicle collision on May 21, 2023, at the intersection of Sevierville Road and Raintree Drive.
According to The Daily Times, Odom pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide by intoxication and vehicular assault after being indicted in November 2023. Forensic toxicology reports cited by prosecutors and in court records showed marijuana in his system and a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05%. Judge Harrington granted Odom credit for the time he has already spent in the Blount County jail and revoked his driving privileges for ten years.
Crash, Arrests and Injuries
Deputies with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office reported that Odom was taken into custody at the scene after his 2006 Saab pulled onto Sevierville Road from Raintree Drive and failed to yield, causing Dixon’s van to be pushed into oncoming traffic and into a Ford F-150, according to Blount County. Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup’s driver, 23-year-old Michael Roy of Alcoa, and two passengers were evaluated, and two of them were flown to UT Medical Center with serious injuries.
What Tennessee Law Says
Under Tennessee law, vehicular homicide by intoxication is a felony when a driver’s intoxication, whether shown by impairment or by a qualifying blood-alcohol level, is the proximate cause of someone’s death. The state lays out the legal definitions and penalties for DUI and vehicular homicide offenses in its code; see the relevant sections as compiled by Justia for the controlling language.
Family Speaks
At the sentencing hearing, Dixon’s sister, Jennifer Turner, read a victim impact statement describing how the loss still reverberates through their lives. “Three years later, and it still feels like my heart is crippled,” she said, according to The Daily Times. Family members described Dixon as 33 years old and spoke about how his death has upended their family.
Officials Urge Caution
In comments released shortly after the crash in May 2023, Sheriff James Berrong called the wreck a “sad reminder” of the risks of drinking and driving and urged residents to plan ahead by using designated drivers or ride-share services, according to the county release. Blount County deputies said their Traffic Safety Unit continued to investigate the collision and emphasized that Tennessee law allows impairment charges based on observed intoxication even when a driver’s blood-alcohol concentration is below the per se 0.08% threshold.
Odom’s guilty plea and nine-year sentence close out the criminal case in Blount County. With the court’s order on prison time and credit for time served now in place, the focus shifts to Dixon’s family and to the long recovery facing those injured in the crash. For many in Maryville, the outcome serves as a pointed reminder of how quickly impaired driving can turn deadly.
