The Blount County Sheriff’s Office said that two people died following a car crash at around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Officials said that Brandon Payne, 29, from Knoxville, and Amanda Pack, 30, from Knoxville, was were declared dead on the scene of a crash in Maryville, Tennessee.
They said that a deputy was watching over along Morganton Road when a Nissan Versa almost hit him. Officials said that the car was accelerating with its lights on bright, and after that, the deputy turned around to try and pull the car over. He called over the radio that his car was almost struck, officials said.
By the time the deputy turned around to stop the car, it was no longer within the reach, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. The deputy activated his emergency equipment, attempting to catch up with the Versa for around 5 miles.
As the driver of the Versa crossed the railroad tracks close to Hopewell Road, the car went airborne and struck a tree in a yard on the right side of the road, officials said. Deputies attempted to rescue the people, but they were pronounced dead on the scene.
No deputies were injured.
Maryville Police Department and Sheriff’s Office investigation into the incident is ongoing.