Motorcyclist charged after KY police chase ends in crash on I-75
ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A motorcyclist is facing charges after a police pursuit Sunday ended with a crash in Anderson County after an officer fired shots while pursuing the motorcycle from Kentucky.
A preliminary crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that the crash happened on I-75 South at Exit 122 in Anderson County.
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The crash took place while a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle was attempting to elude law enforcement and stopped abruptly in the lane. The 2023 Ford Explorer, driven by a Anderson County deputy, was following and struck the motorcycle. Both the motorcycle and Ford came to an uncontrolled rest on the right shoulder of the road.
The report identified the motorcyclist as Richard E. Cantrell and stated he is facing multiple charges, including failure to exercise due care, driving without a license, and driving without insurance. Jail records also state that Cantrell is facing charges of reckless endangerment, evading arrest, and reckless driving.
Arrest warrants from the Anderson County General Sessions Court stated that the motorcyclist was spotted before the crash by a Rocky Top police officer. When the officer attempted to stop the motorcycle, it reportedly sped up to speeds of more than 100 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone. The warrant continues to state that Rocky Top police officers continued to follow motorcycle until Anderson County deputies joined the pursuit between mile markers 126 and 122 of I-75.
The Rocky Top officers began to disengage from the pursuit shortly before the crash happened near the mile marker 122 off-ramp, the warrants stated. The officer who wrote the affidavit included in the warrant said the motorcyclist was taken to UT Medical Center for evaluation of potential injuries .
Previous: TBI investigates officer-involved shooting along I-75
Previously, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported that it was investigating an officer-involved shooting along I-75 in Campbell County. The TBI said a Williamsburg, Kentucky police officer attempted to stop a motorcyclist who was traveling at a high speed along I-75, but the driver did not stop and continued into Tennessee.
READ: More top stories on WATE.com
The TBI also stated the motorcyclist stopped abruptly at mile marker 158 in Campbell County before the crash happened. The motorcyclist then reportedly backed into the officer's vehicle before driving north in the southbound lanes, the agency said. The TBI said, for reasons still under investigation, the officer fired shots, but the driver continued to drive away and an alert was issued for law enforcement in Tennessee to be on the look out for the motorcyclist.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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