Tennessee helicopter crash kills state trooper, sheriff's deputy
A helicopter crash left a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper and a Marion County Sheriff Department deputy dead on Tuesday, officials said.
THP identified the trooper as Sgt. Lee Russell of the aviation division and the deputy as Det. Matt Blansett, who also served as a Marion County commissioner.
The Bell 206 helicopter crashed into a wooded area on Aetna Mountain near Whiteside, Tennessee, after striking a power line around 4 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email statement.
Our hearts are filled with sadness as we navigate these difficult times. Please pray for the families, friends, and the men and women of the THP and the Marion County Sheriff’s Dept. These men are heroes, and we will never forget them. For more info click, https://t.co/ZppsWESWSx pic.twitter.com/rWVDhBknuc
— TN Highway Patrol (@TNHighwayPatrol) August 24, 2022
“There are no words to describe the heartache and sadness our department is experiencing right now,” Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long said in a news release Wednesday. "We ask for prayers of comfort for the families, our department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department during this dark and difficult time.”
Marion County Mayor David Jackson said his heart goes out to Blansett's family.
"I just can't imagine what they're going through," Jackson told The Tennessean on Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB will lead the investigation.
Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee helicopter crash kills state trooper, Marion County deputy
