LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — A year after his death, the Loudon County Sheriff's Office held a memorial service to honor fallen Sgt. Chris Jenkins.
On February 2, 2022, Sgt. Jenkins set up a rolling roadblock to remove a ladder from I-75. Christopher Savannah, a truck driver, who prosecutors said was high on marijuana at the time, hit and killed Jenkins.
Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis was a chief deputy at the time of the crash. Davis said he responded to the scene on I-75.
"Seeing anybody deceased is difficult," Davis said. "When it's a friend, it's difficult. When it's a brother, when you've had several moments over his career and your career together, it's very difficult."
The sheriff spoke at the memorial service and honored Jenkins' family with a wreath in front of the sheriff's office's FOP Memorial Wall. Each member of Jenkins' family got a flower from the wreath.
Both Davis and Chief Deputy Zac Frye remembered Jenkins for the humor he brought to the office every day.
"He would imitate people," Davis said. "He took it to a different level."
"Every morning, when Chris came in, he had some sort of joke or some sort of light-hearted way to get the guys ready for work," Frye said.
Davis said Jenkins loved his community. He was born and raised in Loudon County, and spent his entire career working in the county, the sheriff said.
In August, a grand jury indicted Savannah on one count of vehicular homicide by intoxication, one count of vehicular homicide by recklessness, one count of driving under the influence, and three counts of felony reckless endangerment among several other charges.
Records showed Savannah did not have an active commercial driver's license at the time of the crash after it was suspended for a previous positive marijuana test.
Savannah is due back in court in March. He is set to face trial in May 2023.