ALCOA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RECKLESS HOMICIDE IN FATAL I-40 CRASH NEAR CROSSVILLE
According to a report by the Crossville Chronicle, Joshua Adam Fields, a 43-year-old man from Alcoa, pleaded guilty in Cumberland County Criminal Court on October 28 to reckless homicide in a multi-vehicle crash that killed 72-year-old Michael Copeland on I-40 near Crossville on December 16, 2021.
The incident stemmed from aggressive driving and jockeying for position between Fields in a 2022 SUV and Copeland in a 2011 Toyota as they approached the Peavine Road exit; dashcam video showed Fields striking the rear of Copeland’s vehicle, causing it to veer across the median and collide head-on with a FedEx truck driven by Bobby Shires, who sustained minor injuries.
Prosecutors faced evidentiary challenges, including the death of the dashcam witness and issues with Tennessee Highway Patrol evidence, prompting the plea. Fields, who stopped at the exit and was uninjured, qualifies for judicial diversion and must serve at least 30 days in jail under the law at the time, which carried a two- to four-year sentence for reckless homicide (prior to a later update increasing it to three to 15 years).
A sentencing hearing in January will determine the full sentence length, manner of service—such as split confinement or probation after the minimum jail time—and consider a victim impact statement from Copeland’s family, who oppose the plea; Fields remains free on bond until then.
