A 23 year old McMinnville man involved in a two vehicle crash last year was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday.
Judge Gary McKenzie presided.
Michael McKinley entered a plea by information to one count of vehicular assault and received a four year sentence all suspended to time served. The term is to run consecutive to a sentence against him in Warren County. McKinley was given jail credit from March 9 to September 12, 2016.
McKinley was among three people who were involved in that crash on Saturday, March 14, 2015 on Highway 56 south near Evins Mill Nursery.
Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that McKinley was traveling north in a 1997 Ford F150 when the truck went off the right side of the highway. McKinley overcorrected and his truck then crossed the center line and made an angle impact with a southbound 1977 Ford pickup , driven by 44 year old Timmy Hendrixson of Smithville.
Hendrixson was ejected from his truck. McKinley was trapped in his pickup. Both were seriously hurt along with a 17 year old McMinnville boy who was a passenger with McKinley.
Members of the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Extrication Team were summoned to help free McKinley from the wreckage.
According to Trooper Johnson, McKinley was transported by DeKalb EMS to Vanderbilt Hospital. The 17 year old boy was taken by EMS to the Smithville Municipal Airport where he was airlifted by a helicopter ambulance and flown to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. DeKalb EMS took Hendrixson to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Sergeants Eric McCormick and Jimmy Jones assisted Trooper Johnson with the crash investigation.
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