Man arrested in fatal Bradley County Christmas Day crash pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide charges

Bradley County Sheriff's Office / Patricke Conley
Bradley County Sheriff's Office / Patricke Conley

A driver arrested in Bradley County after a Christmas Day crash that killed the driver and passenger of another vehicle pleaded not guilty Thursday to vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges.

“Keep your emotions together,” Bradley County General Sessions Court Judge Clay Collins told the courtroom. “These can be difficult days. I know there’s a lot of emotions on all sides of cases like these.”

Patricke Conley, 42, was the driver of the 2004 Isuzu Ascender that crashed head-on into a 2022 Jeep Wagoneer being driven by Dustin Dillard, authorities say. 

Dillard’s wife, Brittany, was in the passenger seat, and their three young sons were in the back seat, according to an affidavit from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Dustin and Brittany Dillard, both 33, sustained fatal injures at the scene of the accident, according to the affidavit. Their three sons were also injured but survived.

Bradley County Schools, where Brittany Dillard worked, said in a statement Thursday the boys’ conditions were improving.

Conley, who was brought into court in a wheelchair wearing an orange Department of Correction jumper, had visible injuries to his face. Looking briefly at the gallery before lowering his head, Conley was placed before the judge to hear his charges.

Conley was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault. His bond was set at $500,000, and if released on bond, Collins said, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor, alcohol monitoring device and be subjected to weekly drug testing.

On Christmas Day, Conley’s vehicle collided head-on with the Dillards’ Wagoneer as they were traveling west on U.S. Highway 64, according to the Highway Patrol affidavit.

“Based on the roadway evidence, Conley went off the right side of the roadway, hitting a mailbox,” the affidavit said. “He then crossed over both lanes of travel into the grassy median. Losing control of his vehicle … the Isuzu traveled up a steep embankment and went airborne.”

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“The Isuzu had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage in the driver’s compartment, and there were numerous Bud Light beer cans scattered throughout the crash scene,” the affidavit said, adding that a deputy at the scene “stated that while attempting to render aid she could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his (Conley’s) person.”

Life of service

Brittany Dillard, a teacher at Walker Valley High School, and her husband lived a life of service to others, according to people who knew them.

Renee Curry, of the Isaiah 117 House, which helps place children into foster homes, said she met the Dillards in 2020 in a store checkout line. She was purchasing items for three children coming to the home.

“We were at the store and had been frantically shopping for these three children when I heard a voice behind me asking if the items in the buggy were for the kids,” Curry said in a Thursday telephone interview. “He’s like, ‘Would it be OK if we bought this?’ and it was just the sweetest thing. His wife and his kids were all right there, and without asking how much, he just came up and put his credit card and just payed for all of it, and it’s my understanding that’s just what they did over and over again.”

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Curry never missed an opportunity to tell others the story, but always kept the Dillards’ name a secret.

“I’ve never told who it was because that wasn’t who they were,” Curry said, adding she didn’t think they wanted praise. “But you know, it’s just so important. He never looked for that, those accolades. He was doing it because it was his heart.”

Curry said although she cannot speak for the Dillard family, she believes the strong faith that drove Dustin and Brittany Dillard to be of service to others is the legacy they leave behind for their three boys.

“They lived loving Jesus,” Curry said. “That is the legacy they leave behind for those boys.”

Members of the Dillard and Stewart families — Brittany Dillard’s family — did not want to speak to the media.

Still, some took to social media.

A Facebook post by one of Brittany Dillard’s former students described her classroom as a “safe space” and called her a “champion of the awkward and insecure.”

“I look at these two coming-of-age pictures and cherish them so much. They show Brittany Dillard in her element, being a champion of the awkward and insecure,” Brandon Akiona said in the post with two photos of himself, fellow Walker Valley High students and Brittany Dillard. “I know now how lucky I was to be one of those few lucky students to call Mrs. Dillard’s class my safe space freshman year.”

Several other posts on social media described Dustin Dillard as being a part of a “selfless family” while urging the community to continue to pray for them.

Bradley County Schools released a statement requesting privacy for the family.

“The family desires the focus to be on organizing community support for the benefit of the children and establishing privacy for grieving and healing,” the Thursday statement said. “At the request of the family, we are reporting that the health of the boys is improving, and a positive prognosis is expected for all three of them.”

The release also asked the community to refrain from creating any online fundraising accounts, stating that if people feel compelled to donate funds, they can do so by donating to a trust fund for long-term care of the boys by mailing a check to the CrossNet Baptist Network, according to the statement.

Checks for the long-term care for the three young Dillard boys can be mailed to:

CrossNet Baptist Network

c/o Dillard Family

2707 North Ocoee Street

Cleveland, TN 37312

Checks can be dropped off at the above address after Jan. 3.

Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.

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