The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:50 PM
Knoxville Police Responds To Fatal Crash After Test Driver Driver Runs Red Light On Clinton Highway
Officers on the scene described the collision as a serious injury crash.
On Wednesday evening, KPD reported that one of those involved, 24-year-old Jefferson Williford, did not survive his injuries.
A KPD representative said a Mercedes on a test drive was traveling west on Clinton Highway and ran a red light. According to KPD, the Mercedes hit a VW going north on Callahan and pushed it under a semi-truck going south on Schaad Road.
Investigators said the driver and only occupant of the VW Jetta was transported to UT Medical Center with life threatening injuries. The driver and passenger of the Mercedes were both injured and transported to UT Medical Center with what appeared to be not life-threatening injuries. The driver of the third vehicle, a semi-truck, was not injured.
Williford was the driver of the Volkswagen.
Police said the driver of the Mercedes was identified as 69-year-old Steve Ratliff, of Dandridge, and the passenger was identified as 58-year-old Monica Hatfield of Mascot.
The investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon.
