The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Monday, January 01, 2018 12:25 PM

Two Year Old Child Dies After Being Left In Vehicle In Gatlinburg
A 2-year-old child that was left in a vehicle overnight Thursday, July 13, was found dead, according to the Gatlinburg Police Department.


On Friday at around 2 p.m., Sevier County dispatchers notified the Gatlinburg Police Department about a 2-year-old child who was left in a vehicle overnight on Laurel Avenue in Gatlinburg.

When officers arrived on scene, it was determined that the child was dead.

When Chris Haynes pulled into his cabin rental for the weekend, he was greeted by a large police presence across the street.

"I saw stretcher. It came out there," Haynes pointed across the street. "I don't know, something was on there - I don't know if it was a baby or whatever, but it was a body."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Gatlinburg Police Department are investigating the incident.

Charges are pending and will be determined through the investigative efforts of these departments and the Sevier County District Attorney's Office.

"There's a lot of questions to be answered in this case and they're still working on that to try and determine answers to those questions, determine charges and actions to be taken in this case," said Gatlinburg Police Chief Randall Brackins.