Police identify driver in VW incident, one dead and one in critical condition
one Volkswagen employee comments on the tragedy
UPDATE:
Amber Reed has been identified as the deceased pedestrian in yesterday’s crash at Volkswagen. Reed died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained.
A second victim remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, and a third was treated and released.
Jason Thornton was identified as the driver in the collision.
He was charged and arrested for vehicular homicide by recklessness, failure to operate with due care, reckless driving, felony reckless endangerment, and speeding.
Jason Thornton
EARLIER:
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Early Saturday morning, Chattanooga Police were contacted about multiple pedestrians struck by a car at the Volkswagen Plant.
At 5:39 a.m., police located three people with injuries. One person was found dead at the scene, a second suffered life threatening injuries and the third had non-life threatening injuries.
Officials were told the driver of the vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck the pedestrians.
One Volkswagen worker was broken up about the situation saying, “People walk through there thinking they have the ride-away all the time. We’ve had situations happen before. As far as this bad, we haven’t seen anything like this.” The employee continues, “They hired 2,000 people last year and already 500 this year. There’s always people crowded everywhere.”
This incident happened on a walkway near the Volkswagen plant and all involved are Volkswagen employees.
The investigation into the incident is on-going.
