A 66-year-old man, Dane Craig Pontius, is currently in custody at the Roane County Jail following his arrest early Thursday morning. The incident began around 4:00 a.m. when a Rockwood police officer spotted a vehicle driving northbound in the southbound lanes on North Gateway (Highway 27), heading toward Harriman.

The Rockwood officer followed the vehicle until agencies including the Harriman Police Department, the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) became involved. Authorities eventually stopped the vehicle on Ruritan Road in Harriman. THP officers arrested Pontius and charged him with driving under the influence (DUI), failure to obey traffic control devices, reckless endangerment, and evading arrest in a motor vehicle (creating a risk to bystanders).

Pontius remains in jail pending further proceedings. The multi-agency response helped ensure the wrong-way driver was safely apprehended without reported injuries or additional incidents.