By Jeremy Z. Young

The combination of speed and alcohol resulted in the death of a Clinton man July 10 who was a passenger in an out-of-control pick-up truck.

According to Knox County Sheriff’s records, Rodney Rhea, 33, of Clinton, died when the truck he was riding in slammed into two utility poles around 2:20 a.m. on West Beaver Creek Road.

The driver, 41-year-old Jean Ward, of Bellflower, CA, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular homicide (driver intoxication).

Rhea died at the scene, but Ward was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where she was initially listed in critical condition. Ward wasn’t subjected to field sobriety tests because she was transported to the hospital. Officers noticed that Ward smelled like alcohol and she did admit to officers that she had been drinking alcohol.

A blood-alcohol test was administered at the UT Medical Center and results of that test are pending.

According to a warrant against Ward, “(she) was traveling at a high rate of speed and was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway.” The 1988 Ford F-150 ran off the right side of the road, striking two utility poles.

The warrant says that the accident was due to Ward’s “intoxication and recklessness.”

Depending on her medical condition, Ward is tentatively scheduled to appear in General Sessions Felony Court on July 21.
Ward has no criminal history in Knox County, and California records were not immediately available.