Cocke County Man Arrested For Leaving The Scene

A Cocke County Man was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident on Monday afternoon. Witnesses say that John Ellis Benson drove through a metal fence on property owned by Tuan Minh Fine on Clevenger Cut Off Road yesterday doing $1500 worth of damage…then taking off on foot…leaving the scene. Deputies were able to track down Benson in short order as Benson was hobbling due to a prior injury. Benson claimed that a woman was driving the 1998 Chrysler Sebring when it plowed into the fence, but a witness, Mary Hembree, identified Benson as the driver. After being checked out at the hospital, Benson was taken to the Cocke County Jail…he refused a blood draw for a blood alcohol test.