A Sweetwater driver charged with striking and killing a pedestrian in March told authorities he drove away from the scene because he thought he'd hit a deer, a warrant states.
Walter Kevin Elliott, 39, was charged May 17 with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
He's accused of killing Billy Ratledge about March 13 along Sweetwater Vonore Road, a warrant states.
Sweetwater police and Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputies found Ratledge's body March 20. He'd been dead for several days.
With help from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, authorities determined Ratledge likely had been hit by a vehicle and left for dead. He'd suffered numerous broken bones.
The investigation picked up March 22 when authorities learned about a white Chevrolet Malibu parked at a home on Forkners Chapel Road -- Elliott's house -- that showed signs of damage, the warrant states.
The car's "windshield was caved in touching the passenger front seat," the warrant states. Pieces of the grill also were missing and appeared to match items found at the crash scene.
The car was towed for processing. Upon inspection, hair and glass were recovered for testing, the warrant states.
"Upon interviewing Mr. Elliott about the incident, he stated that on March 13 2021, while on his way to work, he thought he had hit a deer," the warrant states.
Elliott told authorities he went back to the scene "3 or 4 times" but couldn't find anything. Conditions at the time were "misting rain but daylight," he told authorities.