From NewsChannel 9: UPDATE (May 1st)- A Bradley County Grand Jury has indicted the man charged with a Christmas Day crash that changed one Cleveland f
From NewsChannel 9: UPDATE (May 1st)- A Bradley County Grand Jury has indicted the man charged with a Christmas Day crash that changed one Cleveland family’s life forever.
Patricke Conley appeared in court for an arraignment Monday morning.
At that hearing, we learned the grand jury indicted Conley on 8 counts for the crash that killed Dustin and Brittany Dillard, and badly injured their 3 young sons:
- Vehicular homicide by intoxication (x2)
- Vehicular assault by intoxication (x3)
- Failure to maintain lane
- Failure to exercise due care
- Possession of an open container
The judge entered a not guilty plea on Conley’s behalf, and appointed a public defender.
EARLIER:
The suspect in the deadly Bradley County crash that claimed the life of a mother and father in Bradley County, and badly injured their three young sons, told a first responder “I didn’t do anything wrong” in the moments immediately after the crash.
That detail and more was revealed at a preliminary hearing for Patricke Conley Wednesday afternoon.
The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office says Conley was drunk when he was driving on Highway 64 shortly after it got dark on Christmas Day.
Investigators say he left his lane of the divided roadway, crossed the grass median, went airborne, and landed on a car containing the Dillard family.
The crash killed Dustin and Brittany Dillard. Brittany Dillard was a physical science teacher at Walker Valley High School in Bradley County. The crash badly injured their 3 boys, who are all now recovering.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Conley was wheeled into court in a wheelchair. Conley is still recovering from his injuries in the crash.
A Tennessee Highway Patrolman who took photos of the crash scene testified that he estimated Conley was traveling 65 miles per hour before accelerating to 84 miles per hour when his airbag deployed.
The THP trooper also said at the crash scene, Conley insisted he didn’t do anything wrong.
Bradley County Deputy Anna Simmons testified next. She was the first person to render aid to Conley.
Deputy Simmons says Conley told her he was on his way back from delivering Christmas presents.
A third witness who was a first responder on the scene, Deputy Whitney Payne, says she saw the oldest child with head trauma, and the youngest with head and leg trauma.
Another witness, first responder Tara Carpenter of Bradley County EMS, said the youngest child was awake and crying.
A driver who saw the accident happen testified next. The woman said she saw Conley’s vehicle go airborne and crash into the Dillard’s vehicle. She told her daughter in the vehicle with her to call 911.
As the judge announced that there was enough evidence in the case to bound it over to a grand jury, Conley was seen crying in court.
Conley was last in court, briefly, for an arraignment hearing on December 29th. At that hearing, Conley pleaded not guilty, and a judge set his bond at $500,000.
The crash killed Dustin and Brittany Dillard. Brittany Dillard was a physical science teacher at Walker Valley High School in Bradley County. The crash badly injured their 3 boys, who are all now recovering. (Learn how to donate to the Dillard family here).
A preliminary hearing is like a ‘mini-trial,’ with the prosecution and defense calling witnesses and entering evidence into the record.
We have a crew who will cover the hearing from start to finish, and we plan to stream the hearing online and on our Facebook page when it begins, at 1:30 p.m.
Note: There remains a chance this hearing could be postponed.
