Ben BrewerTruck driver Benjamin Brewer could face decades in prison if he’s convicted for failing to stop his tractor-trailer on Interstate 75 and causing a wreck that killed six people on June 25 — but authorities have to find him first.
Brewer, 39, remained a free man Wednesday night, even though Chattanooga police issued a warrant for his arrest Monday after a local grand jury indicted him on 13 criminal charges related to the wreck.
He is wanted on six counts of vehicular homicide, four counts of reckless aggravated assault, driving under the influence of narcotics, speeding and making false reports.
When the warrant came through Monday, deputies went straight to the London, Ky., address Brewer gave crash investigators, but discovered his relatives lived at that address, not him, said Laurel County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Gilbert Acciardo.
Those family members have not seen or heard from Brewer and don’t know where he is, Acciardo said. Authorities have looked for Brewer in multiple locations but deputies have no leads on his whereabouts, he added.
“We’re at square one right now,” Acciardo said.
It’s possible Brewer is unaware of the arrest warrant, but that’s fairly unlikely considering media coverage of the indictment, Acciardo said.
“The next two days will be real paramount to see whether he will turn himself in,” Acciardo said.
He said it’s not unusual for officers to take several days – or even many days – to arrest someone on a warrant, especially if the suspect doesn’t want to be found. Kentucky State Police also are on the lookout for Brewer.
Chattanooga police declined to comment Wednesday on the search. Police communications coordinator Kyle Miller said in a statement that Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston’s office asked the police not to discuss the case.
“At this time, the District Attorney’s Office has requested that the Chattanooga Police Department refrain from interviews or releasing any additional information,” the statement read.
Pinkston did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Later, spokeswoman Melydia Clewell confirmed that Pinkston did ask police not to discuss the case.
Each vehicular homicide charge that Brewer faces carries between eight and 30 years in prison as well as a $25,000 fine, according to Tennessee law. Brewer could face another two to 12 years on each of the aggravated assault charges.
The remaining charges are misdemeanors.
Allegations of Brewer’s misconduct, drug use and driving history surfaced quickly after the June 25 crash, and both Brewer and the company he drove for have, so far, been sued twice by citizens involved in the wreck.
The second lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Chattanooga attorney John Griffin on behalf of victim Justin Knox and his wife, Nomiki Knox.
The lawsuit is against Brewer and his employers, Billy Ray Sizemore and Cretty Sizemore, the owners of Cool Runnings Express Inc. It claims Justin Knox should be awarded $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages, citing the defendants “for their reckless and grossly negligent actions.”
According to the lawsuit, Justin Knox “incurred medical charges, past, present and future, loss of earning capacity, severe, painful and permanent injuries, along with emotional anguish.”
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.