Hunt for man accused in Loudon Co. stabbing struggle

LENOIR CITY (WATE) -- Officers are looking for a man they believe got into a stabbing struggle with a female hitchhiker in Loudon County Monday night.

The man's identity isn't known. The woman's name hasn't been released.

It happened around 10:45 p.m. along Interstate 75 south at mile marker 76 near the Sugarlimb exit.

The sheriff's department says the woman told them she hitched a ride with the man in London, Kentucky earlier Monday.

The woman told deputies she fell asleep in Loudon County and woke to the man holding a knife to her throat. He told her he'd killed his wife in Indiana.

According to the woman, she struggled with the man over the knife, kicked him several times and stabbed him in the chest.

The woman was found by deputies with wounds to her hand and left leg.

The man fled in his car a green Dodge Intrepid with an Ohio license plate. He may have been heading toward Florida.

He's described as a white, 6'2", 160 to 170 pounds, with missing front teeth, brown hair and clean shaven.

He wore a green shirt and blue jeans. He also has a tattoo of a skull on his left forearm.

The sheriff's department says several hospitals have been contacted about the incident in case the man seeks treatment for his injuries.

Investigators are also trying to determine if there's a recent homicide in Indiana that matches the man's claim about his wife's death.

If you see anyone matching the man's description, call the Loudon County Sheriff's Department at (865)-986-4823 or the Loudon County Emergency Center at (865)-458-9081.