TMP Reports
Posted: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 4:19 pm

Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Killings owned a bottle of alcohol found near the crash scene where he hit and killed a 12-year-old girl last month, a Murfreesboro Police Department spokesman stated Tuesday in a press release.

Killings was on duty the night of July 17 and driving on Bradyville Pike when Lakeisha White, 11, of Hopkinsville, Ky., darted in front of him, Murfreesboro Police reported at the time. She died later.

Attorneys representing the family turned the bottle over to police July 28, spokesman Kyle Evans reported.

“When the department was notified of this finding, Murfreesboro Police Department Fatal Accident Crash Team investigators began working immediately to confirm this information,” Evans reported.

Further investigation revealed that this bottle was the property of Killings.

“While the bottle is evidence which will be included in the investigation, it is not believed to be relevant as a contributing factor to the causes of the crash,” Evans reported. “Blood samples taken by staff at Middle Tennessee Medical Center and examined by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation concluded that neither alcohol, nor drugs were in Sgt. Killings’ blood at the time of the crash.”

Sheriff’s Detective Maj. Chuck Thomas said the sheriff’s office would not comment while the investigation continues.

Evans reported the bottle came to the attention of FACT investigators the night of the crash, however, the bottle was not collected at the time of the initial investigation.

Chief of Police Glenn Chrisman stated: “Our investigators erred in not collecting the bottle at the time of the initial investigation. The Murfreesboro Police Department regrets the error and has addressed this issue with the investigators involved.”

FACT investigators have interviewed five (5) witnesses with information related to this crash. Three (3) witnesses remain to be interviewed. They are scheduled to meet with police investigators later this week accompanied by counsel representing the family.

The crash still remains under investigation by the FACT team at this time.

Killings was placed on administrative leave with pay but returned to work after the blood test showed no presence of alcohol or drugs.