A Millington man has been charged after police say he crashed a pickup truck into a Covington Housing Authority residence Sunday night and tried to leave the scene.
According to the Covington Police Department, officers responded to a motor vehicle crash around 8 p.m. Oct. 5 in the area of Jamieson Drive and Haynie Street. When officers arrived, they found skid marks extending about 150 feet on Haynie Street toward Murphy Avenue and a white 2008 Chevrolet truck that had collided with the side of a residence.
Witnesses told officers the occupants of the truck were walking southbound on Haynie Street attempting to leave the area. Officers located two men about 50 feet from the crash scene who admitted they were in the vehicle.
One of them, identified as 23-year-old Tony Allen of Jean Cove in Millington, told officers he was the driver and was detained.
Investigators determined Allen was traveling northbound on Haynie Street when his brakes reportedly locked, causing the truck to skid and strike the home. Officers also confirmed Allen’s driver’s license had been suspended twice for failure to appear in Millington City Court.
Housing Authority maintenance staff responded and reported extensive damage to the residence, including an air conditioning unit valued at about $10,000. The total damage to the structure has not yet been determined. The vehicle was towed from the scene, and the resident, who was not injured, was relocated to a family member’s home due to the damage.
Allen was arrested and charged with failure to exercise due care, leaving the scene of an accident, vandalism, and driving on a suspended driver’s license. He was released on a $15,000 corporate bond and is scheduled to appear later this month in Tipton County General Sessions Court before Judge M.O. Eckel III.
“This is an example of how the residents saw something and then said something which resulted in the driver being located quickly,” Chief Donna Turner said. “Our officers responded quickly and detained the suspects and made the arrest. We were blessed that no one was struck or injured in the crash.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Covington Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 901-475-1261. Tips may also be submitted through Facebook Messenger at Covington TN Police Department or through the City of Covington website.
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