On the night of June 11, 2026, Deputy James Curry of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accident at Pomona Road in Crossville. The property owner reported that a vehicle had damaged her mailbox, grass, ditch, and driveway culvert before fleeing the scene, estimating the total damages at approximately $10,000. The owner described the suspect vehicle as a silver Hyundai sedan with passenger-side damage.

While at the scene, Deputy Curry spotted a silver sedan with heavy front-end damage traveling on the wrong side of the road toward Highway 70 North. After the property owner positively identified it as the vehicle involved, Deputy Curry initiated a traffic stop.

Upon exiting the vehicle, the driver, identified as 31-year-old Cody A. Schmidt, exhibited severe signs of impairment, including heavily slurred speech, red and watery eyes, and an inability to stand or walk steadily without stumbling. Deputy Curry opted not to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests out of concern for Mr. Schmidt’s safety and the potential of a head injury from the vehicle’s deployed airbags.

Mr. Schmidt was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, where he ultimately refused medical treatment from responding EMS. He was then transported to the Cumberland County Jail. Following the approval of a search warrant, Deputy Curry escorted Mr. Schmidt to CMC, where a blood draw was executed at 2:25 AM on June 12, 2026, securing two vials of blood as evidence.

Mr. Schmidt was returned to the jail and charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI by Allowing), Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Felony Vandalism, with a total bond set at $14,000 and a court date scheduled for July 20, 2026.