Judge denies diversion for drive

KNOXVILLE, Tenn —WBIR.com- A Lenoir City woman lost her bid Friday to one day wipe clean her conviction in the 2021 death of a motorcyclist on Interstate 40.

Knox County Criminal Court Judge Scott Green turned down Jessie Hodge's bid for judicial diversion on her conviction of criminally negligent homicide. She pleaded guilty in July to the count.

Hodge hit and killed motorcyclist Dwight Woods in the middle of the night while driving in September 2021 on I-40 near Pellissippi Parkway.

Judicial diversion is purely up to the judge. It allows someone convicted of a lower level crime to one day have their record wiped clean if they've served their time with no trouble or violations.

Knoxville attorney T. Scott Jones had sought diversion for his client, now 33.

Instead of getting diversion, she'll spend the year she was facing on probation and the conviction will remain on her record.

Hodge originally was indicted on counts of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and following too closely.

Woods was passing through Knox County about 4 a.m. Sept. 4, 2021, on a trip from North Carolina to St. Louis, according to authorities.

Investigators said at the time that Hodge, driving a 2016 BMW SUV, ran into the back of Woods' Honda Gold Wing motorcycle and dragged it about 300 yards as it was lodged in the front of her vehicle.

Woods died at the scene.

Hodge left the scene, according to authorities. Officials said she did not contact 911, and the Knoxville Police Department later found her and returned her to the scene.