The senseless loss of life on a large scale always captures the attention of nearby residents. Nearly the entire state of Tennessee has been tracking the legal aspects related to the case of a driver responsible for a trucking accident that took the lives of six people in 2015. The trial and the more publicized elements of this case ended on Jan. 25 when a jury found the driver guilty on 12 counts.
- One count of speeding
- One count of driving under the influence of a narcotic
- Four counts of reckless aggravated assault
- Six counts of vehicular homicide through intoxication
In the summer of 2015, the truck driver reportedly failed to slow down when approaching a construction site filled with standstill traffic on Interstate 75. At full speed, the driver crashed into the stopped vehicles. The cost of this trucking accident was the death of six people ranging in age from 9 years to 50 years.
The prosecution introduced compelling evidence during the trial, most notably, blood test results indicating that the driver was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crash. However, the case is not without controversy because the state toxicologist reportedly admits that the blood test was contaminated.
Regardless, the jury chose to convict the defendant on all 12 criminal counts. His next court appearance is a sentencing hearing scheduled to take place in March. The defendant’s public defender asserts that the driver was not impaired and says they plan to file an appeal. The truck driver could be looking at up to 72 years in a prison.
Source: Times Free Press, “Ben Brewer found guilty on all counts, faces up to 72 years in prison for fatal I-75 crash,” Zack Peterson, Jan. 25, 2018