| THP identifies man whose car crashed on Tellico
Parkway News Sentinel staff LOUDON— Authorities said a medical condition probably claimed the life of a 40-year-old Lenoir City man this morning whose crashed car was found along the Tellico Parkway. Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Russell Smith said medical personnel found Ricky Range dead in his 2005 Toyota Corolla when alerted at 3:37 a.m. about the crash in Loudon County. Smith said a passerby reported seeing the headlights of Range’s car in thick brush about 100 feet off the roadway. The trooper said the crash may have occurred an hour or more before it was seen. Smith’s investigation showed Range made no attempt to swerve or apply his brakes when the car ran off the road. Range had left work shortly after midnight because he wasn’t feeling well and probably was en route home when the crash occurred, the trooper said. Range’s body was sent to the medical examiner’s office for a final determination on the cause of death, Smith said. If Range died from a medical condition, his death will not be recorded as a traffic fatality, the trooper said. More details as they develop online and in Friday’s News Sentinel. Note: Ricky Range's brother is Lenoir City Police officer, Eddie Range. |