UPDATE 10 a.m. Friday: Ronnie P. Grantham, the Sevierville man out on bond who was indicted in a 2015 crash that killed two women in Sevier County, is now facing 18 more charges including DUI in two wrong way crashes that happened on I-640 in Knoxville Tuesday morning.
The Knoxville Police Department said Grantham faces charges including DUI, Simple Possession of a Schedule IV substance, Felony Reckless Endangerment with a Vehicle, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Reckless Driving.
Grantham is being held at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on a $153,900 bond.
In 2015, records show Grantham has been out on bond since July 2016 awaiting trial for a 2015 crash that killed two women in Sevier County.
Grantham was out on a $500,000 bond in connection with the December 2015 deaths of Jeannette Hurst and Tammy Short, records show. Another woman, Melissa Carnal, also was injured in the crash.
The collision occurred on state Highway 66 North at Huffaker Drive in Sevierville after authorities say Grantham's pickup ran a red light and T-boned a car.
Hurst and Short were killed instantly. Carnal, the back seat passenger, was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center by helicopter.
Authorities allege Grantham was intoxicated. Sevierville police said several prescription medications were found on the pickup truck driver.
A Sevier County grand jury indicted him on several counts including aggravated vehicular homicide in the case.
According to Sevier County court officials, Grantham had posted bond in the case July 12, 2016, and had been free since then.
According to Sevier County Circuit Court records, Grantham also previously had been convicted of DUI in 1991 and in 1996.
The Two Wrong-Way Crashes
Two wrong-way crashes involving one pick-up truck that caught fire caused serious traffic issues on westbound I-40 in East Knoxville the morning of Tuesday, April 24.
According to Darrell DeBusk with the Knoxville Police Department, officers responded to the first crash just before 6:00 a.m. after they received a call claiming a red pick-up truck driving on the wrong side of I-640 at Western Avenue had been involved in a hit-and-run.
According to KPD, a Chevrolet Z71 pick-up truck had been heading east on westbound I-640 toward I-40. After the truck's driver reportedly hit the first vehicle, KPD said he continued east where he then slammed into a semi-truck at the on-ramp to I-640 coming from westbound I-40 at North Chilhowee Drive.
KPD said the pick-up truck then caught fire. A passerby was able to pull the driver from the truck where he was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
KPD said neither the driver of the semi-truck nor the driver of the other vehicle involved in the hit-and-run were hurt.
Shortly after the crash with the semi-truck, traffic on I-40 West came to a standstill as crews worked to clear the truck and semi-truck from the right lanes and ramp.
Traffic was reduced to a single lane at one point and back-ups occurred as far back as Strawberry Plains Pike, causing delays for drivers heading into downtown Knoxville until around 8:30 a.m.