Authorities say a U. S. Army soldier is being held this morning in the Campbell County Jail and is facing multiple charges in Tennessee alone.    Stephen George Williams’  Sunday afternoon of terror on I-75 began in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to officials with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department.

Accounts from E-911 Dispatch and the sheriff’s department outline that Williams was holding his mother at gunpoint the entire time he roared down I-75 in a pick-up truck bearing a Texas license plate.  The first call to Campbell County E-911 Dispatch about the pursuit came in at 5:16 pm on Sunday from a driver at Mile Marker 5 in Kentucky.  The caller said that shots were being fired upon other vehicles on the interstate from the light colored pick-up truck.  One dispatcher said that several vehicles were fired upon with one reported to be hit though no one was injured.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Maleah Human became the primary unit in pursuit of Williams Ford F-150 at Mile Marker 161 on the southbound side of I-75.  The THP report details that once Human took primary on I-75 in Tennessee, Williams fired a handgun in a reckless manner.

Speeds of the pick-up truck in Campbell County reached as high as 94-miles per hour at times.  The chase ended when Williams, of Killeen, Texas, truck hit the back of an 18-wheeler near Caryville Exit 134.  He was taken into custody at 5:43 pm.  His mother, 62-year old Linda Williams of Pensacola, Florida, was transported to the La Follette Medical Center and then later to a Knoxville hospital, according to dispatchers.

After the crash, I-75’s southbound lanes were shutdown for a while in Campbell County as was one northbound lane.

The 39-year old Williams faces charges of Felony Evading, Reckless Endangerment, Aggravated Kidnapping, Driving under the influence, Domestic Assault, Speeding, Insurance, Registration, Aggravated Reckless Endangerment, Improper Lane Change, Following to Closely, Texting while Driving, Intent to go armed while under the influence.

Whitley County, Kentucky, law enforcement officers are also investigating and will have additional charges.  The THP was assisted by Kentucky State Police, Whitley County, Jellico and La Follette Police (K-9 on stand by at Exit 141) and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/22/2018-6AM)

(UPDATED 10/22/2018-3:30PM)

Earlier story from Sunday evening, October 21, 2018

It was an alarming half-hour for travelers on I-75 and law enforcement late Sunday afternoon in Campbell County.   Reports coming in to WLAF News are that a man, the driver, and his passenger, a female, were headed south on I-75 into Tennessee in a pick-up truck at a high-rate of speed.  The call came in to Campbell County E-911 Dispatch at 5:16 pm from a driver at Mile Marker 5 in Kentucky that shots were being fired upon other vehicles on the interstate from the pick-up truck with Texas tags.  Several vehicles were fired upon with one reported to be hit though no one was injured.

It’s believed the incident started near Williamsburg and carried into Tennessee. The Kentucky State Police were joined in the pursuit by Jellico Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol at Exit 156, Rarity Mountain.  Speeds were said to have reached as high as 94-miles per hour before officers with Caryville and La Follette Police along with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department caught up with the chase at the Huntsville-Oneida Exit Number 141.

Speeds slowed down dramatically from there due to traffic and the construction zone.  An 18-wheeler slowed down the pick-up to aid police in their efforts.  At 5:43 pm, the pick-up rear ended the big rig right at the south Caryville Exit at Mile Marker 134.  That’s where the man was arrested and the woman was taken to the La Follette Medical Center.  He arrived at the jail around 6:15 pm.

Officials initially reported that there was only one person in the truck during the pursuit.  They surmised that the female was either in the floor board or lying down in the seat.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/21/2018-6:30PM)

Officials with the county jail identify the man as Stephen George Williams.  He is believed to be 39-years old.  He is a black male, and his hometown is yet to be learned.

Charges are forthcoming and will be made by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.  (UPDATE – WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/21/2018-7:25PM)