Owens Sentenced for Vehicular Assault

January 17, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A man responsible for a serious injury traffic crash in April, 2017 entered a plea to vehicular assault Wednesday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

64 year old Terry Owens received a four year TDOC sentence to serve 310 days in the DeKalb County Jail and he will lose his driver license for one year. He has been given jail credit of 310 days from April 8, 2017 to February 12, 2018

The accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 70 and Evins Mill Road.

Trooper Brent Collier of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Owens, driving a 1997 Chevy, pulled from Evins Mill Road onto highway 70 into the path of a 2014 Kia Serento, driven by 46 year old Michael Adkins of Crossville who was traveling east on highway 70. 38 year old Tosha Adkins was a passenger. 38 year old Rebecca Pelfrey was a passenger with Owens.

According to the complaint, “Mr. Owens smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking the day of the accident. He was given standardized field sobriety tests at which he performed poorly. Mr. Owens refused to give blood multiple times even after being told about the implied consent law”.

Adkins was not hurt but Ms Adkins was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital where she was treated and released. Owens and Pelfrey were taken to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital by DeKalb EMS where they were treated. Pelfrey was released by Owens was taken into custody.

Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene.

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