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Kingsport Police Department
David Quillin, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Motorcyclist Killed in Interstate Interchange Crash | ||
| DATE: | March 13, 2019 | ||
| CASE #: | 19-005345 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| On March 13, 2019 at approximately 6:30 PM, Kingsport Police Department Patrol Officers responded to a motor vehicle collision at the interchange of Interstate 81 and Interstate 26 in Kingsport. Due to the seriousness of injuries involved, the K.P.D. Traffic Unit was called to the scene. Their subsequent investigation revealed the following:
A black 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2-door sedan, driven by Richard M. Estep, was northbound on Interstate 81 and attempting to merge to the right onto the exit ramp to westbound Interstate 26. Meanwhile a red 2010 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, operated by Sammy P. Fanning, had exited eastbound Interstate 26 and was attempting to merge to the left onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 via the entrance ramp. At some point while the two vehicles were merging, they came in contact with one another, causing the motorcycle to overturn. Mr. Fanning sustained critical injuries and was transported to a local medical facility where he later died. Mr. Estep was not injured as a result of the collision. Each of the two vehicles involved only sustained minor damage. This crash remains under active investigation by the K.P.D. Traffic Unit. As such, no additional information is available for release at this time. |
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| COLLISION VEHICLE #1 INFORMATION | ||
| Make | Mitsubishi | |
| Model | Eclipse | |
| Year | 2006 | |
| Type | 2-Door Coupe | |
| Color | Black | |
| Damage | Minor | |
| Driver | Name | Richard M. Estep |
| Age | 29 Years of Age | |
| Gender/Race | Male/White | |
| Residency | Church Hill, TN | |
| Injuries | No Injury | |
| COLLISION VEHICLE #2 INFORMATION | ||
| Make | Harley-Davidson | |
| Model | Motorcycle | |
| Year | 2010 | |
| Type | Motorcycle | |
| Color | Red | |
| Damage | Minor | |
| Operator | Name | Sammy P. Fanning |
| Age | 46 Years of Age | |
| Gender/Race | Male/White | |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN | |
| Injuries | Fatal | |
| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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