CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A man died in Claiborne County after his SUV hit a utilities pole early Thursday morning, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

The 48-year-old man from Kentucky was driving south on Highway 132 around 2:40 a.m. when his SUV went off the left side of the road and struck a utility pole, according to THP's preliminary report. The vehicle came to a rest on its side off an embankment.

The man, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was fatally injured.

This is the tenth fatal crash in Claiborne County this year, up from six in 2024 and seven in 2023, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The department has recorded 361 total crashes in the county this year up from 320 in 2024 and down from 374 in 2023.

See Full Page