A police chase on Sunday morning ended with a man behind bars after police reportedly found a severed human torso inside his car.
Knox News reports that Dorrae Debrice Johnson, 29, was swerving in and out of lanes on Interstate 40 early Sunday morning at around 3:30 a.m. in Knoxville, prompting police to pull him over. As an officer walked toward the man’s car, he allegedly screamed from his window that he had to get his family home. The suspect reportedly drove away from the traffic stop, prompting a brief chase.
The chase ended when the suspect crashed his car into a utility pole while driving in the wrong direction. Police said Johnson got out of the car and fled, but they caught him soon after. An officer then turned the man’s car off and saw a human torso on Johnson’s passenger floorboard, according to arrest documents.
The other half of the victim’s body was found close to Sutherland Avenue. According to police, Johnson, who was described as “blitzed,” hit and killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence. It’s still unclear how the victim’s torso ended up inside the suspect’s car.
The victim was identified as Daryl Butler, a 65-year-old man who had recently been placed in a nearby public housing complex by the Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC), after living homeless for years.
VMC sadly learned today that one of our neighbors passed away over the weekend as the result of a traffic accident….
Posted by Volunteer Ministry Center on Monday, June 17, 2019
“Even though life had not always been easy, Daryl was a bigger than life personality and will be remembered for his smile, contagious positive attitude and always having a story to share with others,” VMC said on Facebook.
Johnson was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, financial responsibility law, speeding, driving on a revoked license, expired registration, seatbelt violation, display of registration plates, and texting while driving.
[Feature Photo: Dorrae Johnson/Police Handout]
