November 26, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
A suspected drunk driver believed responsible for a fatal head on crash in March on South Congress Boulevard was named in a sealed indictment returned by the DeKalb County Grand Jury Friday.
39 year old James Christopher Vaughn is indicted for driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, simple possession of a schedule VI drug (Marijuana), and failure to maintain lane of travel. He is under a $100,000 bond and will be arraigned in Criminal Court on December 10.
The crash occurred on Sunday, March 31. 65 year old Bessie Blevins was seriously injured and died two months later.
According to Smithville Police, Vaughn was driving north on South Congress Boulevard in a Chevy Cobalt when he crossed into the southbound lane and struck a Mercedes SUV driven by Billy Blevins near the intersection of Congress and Bryant Street. Bessie Blevins was a passenger.
After impact, Vaughn’s car came to rest in the center of the road and burst into flames. The SUV stopped in the grass on the west side of Congress Boulevard.
Vaughn, though seriously injured in the crash, was not believed to have suffered any burns. He apparently got out of his car before it caught fire. Before going to the hospital, Vaughn submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. Vaughn’s speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. He also had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. Vaughn agreed to a blood test. He was taken by DeKalb EMS to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital and then airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Bessie Blevins was taken by EMS to the hospital. Mr. Belvins went to the hospital by private vehicle. Bessie passed away Wednesday May 29 at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro
The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department was also on the scene.
The crash was investigated by Smithville Police Sergeant Travis Bryant