Adkins strikes mailbox with car, mailbox owner pursues suspect

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The odds were not in Richard Adkins favor. He was already wanted by authorities on a violation of probation warrant, and then he allegedly hit a mailbox head on with his compact car. That prompted the mailbox owner to follow Adkins in his car with a Campbell Sheriff’s Sergeant also in pursuit along with a La Follette Police Officer.

Adkins was traveling toward La Follette on Long Hollow Road Tuesday afternoon, a little before 4:00, when he struck a mailbox and kept on going, according to the report.

As Adkins was heading from the county into La Follette proper, LPD Officer Aidyn Fudala responded to a be-on-the-lookout call to join CCSO Sergeant Tosha Tackett in the pursuit. Fudala conducted a traffic stop on the 2018 Nissan Versa along North Indiana Avenue.

Tackett arrived on scene to see Adkins outside his car leaning against Fudala’s patrol car. Tackett noticed damage to the front of the Nissan and asked Adkins if he had struck any object while traveling Long Hollow Road. “Not that I know of” Adkins responded, based on the police report.

Adkins was asked about the front end damage to the silver car to which Adkins allegedly stated “he just didn’t fix it right”.

The 30-year- old Adkins of 130 Stone Brook Lane, La Follette was charged with financial responsibility law, leaving the scene, vandalism and driving on a revoked license. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/14/2026-6AM)