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The deputy mistakenly drove into the Tennessee River. The panel recommended the placing of barriers or a gate, along with warning lights, to prevent a similar accident from happening again.
The Meigs County (Tennessee) Grand Jury has determined that the drowning deaths of deputy J.R. Leonard and prisoner Tabitha Smith in the Tennessee River was "a terrible accident."
The panel recommended the placing of barriers or a gate, along with warning lights, to prevent a similar accident from happening again.
Another recommendation was that GPS systems be placed in all Meigs County patrol vehicles, the Chattanoogan reports.
The incident happened last Feb. 14 when the new deputy took a wrong turn in the dark at Blythe Ferry Landing.
The vehicle was discovered upside down in the river the next day after a search began at daylight. The body of deputy Leonard was found outside the vehicle. Smith's body was in the back seat.
A lawsuit was filed earlier this year over the death of Tabitha Smith.