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Wlaf1450LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- It took busting a window of the cab of a pick-up truck to rouse a passed out driver. La Follette Police were called to a neighborhood on South High Knob Road at Indian Hills Road around 11:30am Sunday. LPD Officer Jackson Stagnolia and Sgt. Joe Hicks responded to find a Chevy Silverado parked in the middle of the road with the engine running.
The driver of the truck had his foot on the gas pedal and brake pedal while the truck was still in drive. After repeated knocks on the window of the cab, officers could not bring the unresponsive driver around and were forced to use a hand-held window breaker.
The driver, identified as Donald Ridenour, woke up, unlocked the door and opened it. He then allegedly dropped an uncapped syringe that had blue liquid residue on it. Ridenour was told to put the truck in park, and he complied.
When asked if he had had any substance, narcotic or alcoholic beverage, Ridenour stated no, and that he was just tired. Stagnolia allegedly noticed an open bottle of moonshine in the back floorboard. Ridenour allegedly said that he had not had any of the moonshine, but that he did use meth the night before.
A further search of the truck netted an open bottle of whiskey, a small baggie with a blue powder-like substance inside along with two other baggies with residue plus six syringes. Ridenour said heroin was inside the baggie when asked going on to say he had not used any.
First responders with Campbell EMS checked on Ridenour and asked if he wanted to be taken to the hospital, and he refused. He also refused to take a field sobriety test saying he was going to fall. He did, however, consent to a blood draw.
Ridenour, 40, 3400 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, is facing multiple charges including with DUI with three or more prior convictions along with driving with license suspended, cancelled, revoked.
The entire incident was recorded on an LPD body cam, according to the police report. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/18/2026-6AM)