COTTONTOWN, Tenn. — A morning hit-and-run on Oct. 7 sparked a chain of criminal incidents along Highway 25, ending with the arrest of 30-year-old Derek Allan Fykes of Carthage.
According to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to reports of a hit-and-run and an attempted equipment theft in the same area. Shortly after, another piece of machinery — a Telehandler high loader valued at $230,000 — was found crashed into a guardrail and abandoned.
Investigators determined that Fykes had allegedly stolen and driven the equipment from one nearby property to another before abandoning it. Earlier that day, the suspect reportedly fled a two-vehicle crash on foot within a mile of the theft sites.
Deputies and emergency management personnel launched a search for Fykes, which ended hours later when a local resident reported a garage break-in and an attempted vehicle theft.
A deputy later found Fykes near Highway 25 and Highway 76, close to the abandoned loader. After being read his rights, Fykes admitted to being involved in the earlier crash but claimed he only recalled waking up in a field afterward.
Fykes now faces two counts of theft of property and one count of burglary. He is scheduled to appear in Sumner County General Sessions Court on Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked residents for their cooperation, stating:
“Deputies responded to a series of incidents beginning with a hit-and-run crash… These events led to a high police presence as deputies worked quickly to investigate. This afternoon, deputies arrested Derek Fyke in connection with these offenses.”
Authorities confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public.
