New details emerge in wreck that killed 2 Cleveland students

June 7, 2024

WDEF News,

UPDATE:

MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — An affidavit released new details into a wreck that killed two Cleveland High School students at the end of April.

Anastasia Balkcom. McMinn County Sheriff’s Office

Investigators said the original reported passenger of the car was the actual driver.

Officers arrested 19-year-old Anastasia Balkcom this week.

They are charging her with the following.

Vehicular homicide – 2 counts
Making false reports
Vehicular assault
Aggravated assault
Failure to exercise due care – 2 counts
Failure to maintain lane – 2 counts
Reckless driving – 2 counts

A Tennessee State Trooper who responded to the crash said the car was upside down. The crash happened at around 11:30 p.m. on April 26.

Two passengers were dead upon the trooper’s arrival, a male and a female. Another female passenger was airlifted to the hospital with a skull fracture, the affidavit explained.

Jaylen Wesley-Cook originally claimed to have been driving the car. He said an animal ran out in front of him, he swerved, and the car flipped. Balkcom told authorities the same story.

However, the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s investigation led them to believe otherwise.

The THP’s investigation determined Balkcom was the actual driver and Wesley-Cook was a front-seat passenger. Wesley-Cook also sustained severe bodily injuries, according to the affidavit.

Investigators noted the driver’s seat was adjusted to Balkcom’s height. Additionally, witnesses who were fishing nearby helped the passengers out of the car. They told police they heard Balkcom ask Wesley-Cook to claim he was driving.

The THP said they found a bottle of Crown Royal in the car and a substance they believed was marijuana. They also said they found video taken by the passengers that showed the consumption of them in the car.

Investigators believe Balkcom was driving westbound on Cherokee Crossing in Calhoun. They said she was driving at a high rate of speed in an area with a 20-mph speed limit. THP said as she tried to negotiate a curve, she ran off the road, hit an embankment, flipped the car and hit a tree.