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April 1, 2008


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NEWS

Fleeing Nursing Home Patient Leads Police on Three-County Chase

By Linda Bolton and Shannon McFarland
linda@mckenziebanner.com

An elderly resident walked away from Oak Manor Nursing in McKenzie Monday morning and led officials and a J.R. Hayes Construction employee on a chase through Carroll, Henry and Stewart counties, after taking a truck from a nearby highway construction site.

The man, whose name the Banner is withholding, managed to escape the nursing home grounds, which are located near the construction site on Highway 79. J.R. Hayes Construction of Paris has a contract to improve that section of the highway to a five-lane road.

Shortly after his disappearance from the facility, nursing home officials notified McKenzie Police Department and a ground search was initiated for the man, who was in his 60s and had a prior history of unofficially leaving the home, according to MPD Investigator Tim Nanney.

Oak Manor staff members, McKenzie police officers, McKenzie Fire and Rescue personnel, and Carroll County Sheriff’s deputies searched the area in and near the nursing home and surrounding areas.

Nanney stated McKenzie Street Department employees and Tennessee Department of Transportation employees also participated in searching for the lost resident.

A break in the search came when one of the J.R. Hayes Construction employees told officials he saw someone enter one of their company trucks and drive away, traveling north on Highway 79.

“Area units were looking for that vehicle and we put out a B.O.L.O. to Henry County to “be on the lookout” for the J.R. Hayes truck,” said Investigator Nanney.

Taking part in the pursuit were various law enforcement agencies and an employee of J.R. Hayes who followed the truck in another vehicle and remained in contact with law officials.

The fleeing patient was apparently driving at high rates of speed and reportedly ran through several traffic lights in Paris. In the process, he collided with a car near the Tackle Box, 6160 Highway 79 North, outside of Paris, damaging the right front of the car.

At one point, the J.R. Hayes employee in pursuit lost contact with the stolen truck. However, moments later it was again spotted crossing the Ned McWherter Bridge at Paris Landing.

Stewart County officials were notified to be on the lookout for the approaching vehicle and Stewart County sheriff deputies caught up with him at 10:15 a.m. just after he crossed into that county.

According to a deputy speaking on the police scanner, when he was stopped, the man “had lots of blood on him, very disoriented, and has a catheter hanging out of his stomach.”

Lt. Nanney noted the resident had a feeding tube. He was taken to Henry County Hospital for treatment.

Local officials are trying to determine what charges to file against him, said Lt. Nanney.

A spokesman at Paris Police Department said that department charged the man with leaving the scene of an accident.

Oak Manor Administrator Bob Collins would not comment on the case, saying only, “We try to do the best we can for our patients.”

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April 1, 2008