A county woman charged with driving under the influence after her vehicle crashed into a parked church bus over the weekend now faces additional charges after city police said fled the scene of an accident just minutes before colliding with the bus.
On Monday, Elizabethton Police Department Officer Joe Holsclaw served Kimberly Street Honeycutt, 40, of 103 Forrest Drive, Elizabethton, with a warrant charging her with leaving the scene of an accident and violation of the state’s financial responsibility law. Honeycutt was already incarcerated at the Carter County Detention Center on charges related to the church bus accident when Holsclaw served his warrant.
Officers with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Honeycutt Sunday afternoon and charged her with driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license.
Deputies located Honeycutt after dispatchers with Carter County 911 asked officers to be on the lookout for a vehicle that had fled the scene of a crash in the city.
According to Holsclaw, that crash occurred on Broad Street in front Food City shortly before 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Aaron and Heather Hansen reported to police they were sitting stationary in the turning lane on Broad Street waiting to make a left turn into the parking lot of the grocery story. The couple told Holsclaw a white sedan driven by a woman “who appeared to be slumped over slightly or texting” crossed over the concrete highway divider into their lane and side-swiped their vehicle and before driving away northbound on Highway 19E.
“They stated that in an attempt to get a tag number they tried to follow the vehicle but lost sight when they were caught by a red light,” Holsclaw said, adding the couple said they saw the car turn
off of Highway 19E and onto Highway 91.
“During my investigation I found that a few minutes later htat evening a vehicle matching the same description with a female driver was involved in another accident on State Route 91 at Hunter First Baptist Church where she left the roadway and struck a parked church bus,” Holsclaw said.
Due to the close proximity and times of both accidents and statements given by witnesses and the victims, Holsclaw said he filed a warrant charging Honeycutt in connection with the crash in front of Food City.