Knoxville woman charged after fatal hit-and-run crash

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — A 75-year-old woman is dead and a 45-year-old woman has been charged following a hit-and-run incident Monday night on North Broadway, according to the Knoxville Police Department.

The victim has been identified as Ollie Jenkins of Knoxville . KPD stated in a news release Tuesday morning that the suspect identified as Heather Johns , 45, of Knoxville has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication after leaving the scene of a fatal pedestrian-involved crash.

KPD officers responded to the crash scene along North Broadway at Buchanan Avenue at around 8:50 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, where a woman had been struck by a vehicle that had left the scene.

Witnesses of the crash described the suspect vehicle, giving officers a potential tag number as well. Officers then responded to a Knoxville address linked to the tag number, which was located in the 700 block of Chickamauga Avenue.

Once at the residence, officers found a silver Chevrolet Equinox with front-end damage. Johns was reportedly in the driver’s seat with the keys still in her possession, KPD said, and was believed to be under the influence of alcohol – “based on multiple indicators.”

Johns was taken into custody and booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.

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Jenkins was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. KPD stated the investigation remains ongoing.

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