Knowles, 49, killed on motorcycle – Hispanic teen admits drinking before wreck
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The victim, Jewel Rickey Knowles, 49, died at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville hours after being airlifted to the facility by LifeFlight helicopter from the scene.
The driver of the car, Faustino Guerra Castillo, 18, is charged with vehicular homicide, running a stop sign, failure to yield and driving without a license. He is being held under $77,000 bond and could face more charges as lawmen suspect he had been drinking prior to the wreck. An adult in the car could also later face charges given the fact Castillo was not old enough to purchase alcohol.
According to Highway Patrolman Darrell Gribble, the accident happened around 12:20 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Lowery Lane and Smithville Highway. A preliminary investigation revealed Castillo was traveling east on Lowery Lane in his Dodge Neon when he failed to stop at the stop sign before crossing Smithville Highway.
At the same time, Knowles and another friend were traveling south, toward McMinnville, on their motorcycles on Smithville Highway as Castillo entered the highway. The first rider reported the car barely missed broadsiding him. However, Knowles, who was just behind him on his 1997 Harley Davidson Sportster, was unable to avoid impact, slamming into the side of the Neon which had appeared from the side road without warning. Knowles, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown over 60 feet after being ejected from his cycle.
Trooper Gribble said the teen later admitted to drinking prior to the wreck. However, it has not been determined if the youth, who had just recently turned 18, was over the legal limit of intoxication. The law carries a stiffer penalty for vehicular homicide by intoxication, eight to 12 years, than vehicular homicide by recklessness, three to six years.