ATHENS, Tenn. — A 53-year-old woman has been charged with reckless homicide nearly three months after a fatal motorcycle crash claimed the life of Phillip Oswalt.
On June 18, Athens Police responded to a crash at the intersection of Redfern Drive and Congress Parkway where 57-year-old Oswalt was found deceased.
Investigators discovered there were two separate incidents at the scene. Oswalt was initially injured in a crash and lying in the roadway when an SUV struck him and fled the scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and FBI assisted in locating the suspect vehicle and identifying the driver. On July 18, Eileen Stapler of Decatur was detained for questioning and later taken into custody on unrelated charges.
On September 16, a McMinn County grand jury indicted Stapler on reckless homicide charges. She was arrested Wednesday and her bond was set at $25,000.
“This is a great example of building a quality case and then making the arrest,” said Police Chief Freddy Schultz.
