Republican election official charged in cyclist death

[LunaSea]

A Cocke County businessman is charged with DUI and vehicular homicide after a fatal crash Tuesday night.

A report filed by the Tennessee Highway Patrol states that Dan Ford was driving a truck on Highway 73 in Newport when he hit two bicyclists from behind.

The crash killed Katelin Richardson, 21, of Vermont. The other cyclist who was hit did not have any injuries.

Richardson was in East Tennessee working as a river rafting guide. Her boss told 10News she often biked to Cosby to visit a friend and she was on her way back when she was struck. She had graduated from school where she majored in physical therapy and was going to play professional soccer for the Vermont Voltage.

Ford is an election commissioner in Cocke County. Ford is a former chair of the Cocke County Republican Party and ran in 2008 for state representative but lost to the incumbent.






http://www.wbir.com/news/article/176047/2/THP-Cocke-Co-politician-was-drunk-when-he-hit--killed-bicyclist