By The Associated Press
A man driving a tow truck killed four and injured four as he drove down a Tennessee highway and struck a parked van with his vehicle where the victims were changing a tire.
Police said
Saul A. Carrera, 60,
of New York, was not fit to drive when the incident occurred.
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Carrera was driving a Peterbilt tug south on Interstate 81 when the vehicle banked to the right over a highway rest area and
struck
a white Chevrolet Express van
, where five men were trying to change a tire, police said. Kingsport.
After the hit, the trailer continued south for a short stretch before overturning, police added.
The driver of the tugboat, Saúl A. Carrera, 60 years old.AP
Killed were
Jesse James De la Cruz
, 49, of Fayetteville, Tennessee;
Jose Urbano Serrano Ramos
, from
25, of Crossville, Alabama;
a 17-year-old from Crossville; and another man who has not yet been identified.
Another 17-year-old, from Gasden, Alabama, was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later improved to stable, police said.
Three of Gasden's men, who remained in the van, were also injured.
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"Based on the observations of the officers and the evidence collected at the scene, the investigators established that the probable cause was that Mr. Carrera
was operating the tugboat without being in a position to do so
," the police statement stressed, without going into further detail. details.
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Carrera was
charged with four counts of vehicular manslaughter
by intoxication and aggravated reckless assault
, reckless endangerment, driving a commercial vehicle under the influence and lack of due care, police said.
Carrera was taken to the hospital for his injuries and was booked Monday into the Sullivan County Jail.
Online records did not specify whether he had a lawyer.