Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this report incorrectly described the 2016 fatal crash.
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — A man jailed in Washington County for killing a passenger during a 2016 high-speed wreck was involved in a police chase Tuesday that injured one.
Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) officials identified the suspect as 25-year-old Anthony L. Hammonds II in a preliminary report that detailed the Nov. 29 incident.
Troopers had been advised to look out for a stolen purple Lexus in the Elizabethton area, and an unmarked police vehicle soon began following the suspect. As officers waited for additional response, THP reports that the stolen vehicle turned north on South Watauga Avenue from Cedar Avenue and began to gain speed.
“A THP unit was traveling south on S Watauga Ave when the suspect vehicle entered the northbound lane and struck the THP unit head-on,” states a preliminary report from the THP.
The trooper was not injured in the crash; however, the wreck did injure a passenger in the Lexus, police reports indicate. News Channel 11 is not disclosing the passenger’s identity because they received no charges from the THP following the incident.
Police say Hammonds exited the crashed Lexus and attempted to run from the scene. Officers arrested him following a short foot chase. THP reported that the agency has charges pending against Hammonds.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson with the Washington County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) confirmed that Hammonds was also involved in a Johnson City high-speed crash that killed his passenger in 2016.
THP officials say that Hammonds has multiple active felony warrants from numerous jurisdictions, and News Channel 11 is working to obtain more information. Stay updated on-air and online at WJHL.com.
