Tennessee Man Dead After Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Accident
- WRIL-FM
- Jan 8
- 1 min read
From WRIL - The Big One WRIL -
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at approximately 11:30 pm, there was a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in Tazewell, Tennessee, at the intersection of Highway 33 and Barnard Lane.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has determined in its preliminary investigation that 56-year-old Michael L. Hembree of Tennessee was walking in the middle of the southbound lane of Highway 33 when he was struck by a 2017 GMC Sierra driven by 52-year-old Patrick Howard also of Tennessee. Howard’s GMC came to a controlled rest on the shoulder of the roadway.
Michael Hembree was transported to the Claiborne County emergency room via Claiborne EMS, where he was pronounced deceased.
There are no pending charges against Mr. Howard.
Also assisting on scene was the New Tazewell Police Department.
This is really sad to read. A pedestrian accident like this affects so many people, especially family and first responders. Situations like walking on a dark highway can turn tragic so fast. I was actually reading about Securam customer service earlier and it reminded me how quickly a normal evening can shift into something serious. Thoughts go out to everyone involved and the local crews who had to respond.