The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:30 PM

Blount County Man Dead After Pickup Truck Goes Off Bridge Into Creek Christmas Day

A Blount County man is dead after his truck went off a bridge into a creek at some point early Christmas morning.

A passing motorist reported seeing the truck near New Blockhouse Road just after noon, and deputies responded to find James Wilson, 77, of Maryville, dead at the scene.

An accident reconstruction team with the Blount County Sheriff's Office said Wilson was likely traveling west in his 1995 Ford F150 when it ran off off the roadway. It hit a concrete bridge rail, which caused the pickup to go over the edge into the creek, striking an embankment.

BCSO said Wilson was thrown out of the passenger side window, landing in the creek. No airbag deployed, and Wilson was not wearing a seat belt.

The Sheriff's Office is still investigating to find out more about what happened