Two teenagers who died after jumping into the Tennessee River from Interstate 75 while evading authorities in Loudon County were students at Brainerd High School.
Three teenage boys ended up on the bridge in Loudon County at the end of a stolen vehicle chase April 9, according to a social media post by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Department.
The vehicle they were driving, a Dodge Charger, was reported stolen to the Chattanooga Police Department, a spokesperson for the department said.
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One of the teenagers was detained by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Department after multiple reports of vehicle break-ins in the Lake Drive neighborhood. Residents flagged down a deputy to report seeing a teenage male on a neighbor’s porch, according to the social media post.
The teen revealed during questioning that while evading law enforcement, he and two other teenage males jumped into the water from the Tennessee River Bridge to evade law enforcement, according to the social media post.
A six-day-long search for the two other teenagers resulted in their bodies being found deceased.
Hamilton County Schools verified that the two teens were students at Brainerd High School. The school has had extra counselors and social workers on site to support students, said Adison Lambert, spokesperson for Hamilton County Schools, in an email.
Contact Kailee Shores at kshores@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.