Knoxville Police report ‘trio' of DUI incidents amid ‘sharp rise' in early 2025
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — In early 2025, Knoxville has seen a 'sharp increase' in the number of driving under the influence reports compared to the same time last year, Knoxville Police said Wednesday morning.
According to Knoxville Police, as of Sunday, March 16th, the city has had 118 reports of DUI incidents this year. That is a 53% increase compared to the same time period in 2024 when there were 77 DUI incidents.
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Between Monday, March 10 and Sunday, March 16, there were 21 DUI reports, KPD said, adding that number included a 'trio' of notable incidents from the weekend.
The first of those more notable incidents was on March 14, when officers responded to a crash off of Chapman Highway around 6:30 p.m. Witnesses told officers that a vehicle was weaving in and out of traffic before driving off the road and plummeting down a 50-foot embankment.
Firefighters with the Knoxville Fire Department also responded to the incident, administering Narcan to the driver and helping him out of the vehicle. KPD said the man had a previous DUI and admitted to an on-scene firefighter that he used fentanyl before he got behind the wheel. The driver was taken to UT Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and was arrested for DUI, Knoxville Police said.
The second incident happened later that night. Around 11 p.m., officers responded to a report that a vehicle had crashed into several other vehicles in the area of Henley Street and Main Street before fleeing the scene. One person who was struck was taken to UT Medical Center with a possibly broken leg.
KPD said the driver drove his car to the 300 block of Blount Avenue before running into nearby woods, and eventually, the Tennessee River in an effort to evade officers. The man was pulled from the water and detained by Knoxville Police officers with the help of the KFD's Rescue Boat. The man was later charged with driving under the influence, in addition to numerous other charges, Knoxville Police added.
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The final incident happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 15. At approximately 3:15 a.m., officers responded to a crash in the 300 block of Gay Street, where a car crashed into an unoccupied building. The woman who was driving admitted to consuming numerous alcoholic beverages before driving and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, KPD said.
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