Unresponsive Man In The Road Struck By Trooper Vehicle

NASHVILLE- On September 22, 2019, around 2:00 a.m. a vehicle traveling in the 2700 block of Highway 41 South in Greenbrier, Tennessee noticed what appeared to be a body lying in the road.  The vehicle turned around and drove back, getting within 10-feet of the body and shined their headlights towards the body.  The driver saw the body of a white-male, wearing only blue-jean pants appearing unresponsive.  The driver then moved the vehicle a little further away from the body and called the Robertson County 911 center.  While the 911 call was in progress, Trooper John-Mark Tarr of the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) was on patrol in the area approaching the vehicle.  The vehicle flashed their lights at Trooper Tarr to get his attention.  While Trooper Tarr approached the vehicle flashing their headlights, he inadvertently ran over the body.  He immediately stopped his vehicle, got out to check what he had ran over, and upon realizing he ran over a man, he quickly called THP dispatch and requested for an ambulance to respond to his location.  He activated his lights and camera after calling dispatch.

49-year-old James Yates of Springfield, Tennessee was pronounced dead at the scene.  It is unknown why he was lying in the road.  

Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and Criminal Investigations Division (CID) responded to the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.                              

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