A man was struck and critically injured Friday morning as he crossed Old Rock Island Road after going to get his newspaper.
The victim, Preston Huckeby, 77, was airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga from River Park Hospital for treatment of critical injuries he received in the early morning accident.
According to Highway Patrolman Rodney Whiles, the wreck happened around 7:45 a.m. on Old Rock Island Road near Azalea Drive close to Mud Creek.
According to the Highway Patrol preliminary investigation, Huckeby was on a four-wheeler and had crossed the street from his home to retrieve the newspaper from his paper box. He was returning across the two-lane highway when he entered the path of a Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Carolyn Tittsworth, 43. The impact knocked Huckeby off the Gator-style vehicle he was driving and onto the pavement.
For reasons not known, Tittsworth did not stop to help the severely injured man who was lying on the frigid pavement. Instead, she left the scene of the accident in her damaged vehicle.
Deputies fanned out around the nearby neighborhood and talked to witnesses. They were pointed to where Tittsworth had parked the vehicle. She was taken into custody within a few minutes.
Whiles said the specific charges against Tittsworth are pending but would include, at minimum, leaving the scene of an accident.
Huckeby is a well-known area resident, formerly serving as a TBI agent and highway patrolman and as an employee of City Bank and Trust.
Huckeby is currently a member of the Warren County Election Commission.