Bulls Gap Man Sentenced 19 Years For Leaving Scene Of Accident

A Bulls Gap man has been sentenced to 235 months in prison for leaving the scene of an accident. It all stems from an accident in Greene County on May 11, 2018. Witnesses described the vehicle that had left the scene and Hawkins County police noticed a vehicle matching that description a short time later…after a short chase they found the vehicle abandoned but traced it back to Harold Vernon Smith of Bulls Gap. On June 21, 2018, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office arrested Smith in a wooded area near Interstate 81 and Highway 11E…At the time of his arrest, Smith was armed with a loaded revolver…plus a bag that he owned was located nearby and contained his personal items as well as a box of ammunition for the revolver. A judge then determined that Smith was an armed career criminal, subject to a mandatory minimum of 15 years, up to life in prison. In March after a jury trial…Smith was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and leaving the scene of an accident. Yesterday a judge sentenced Smith to 19.5 years in prison followed by three years on supervised release.