One person was killed and two others were injured in a road accident at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant on Saturday, spokeswoman Amanda Plegas confirmed to CBS News via email.
The spokeswoman said all three were Volkswagen employees.
The Chattanooga Police Department said in a statement to CBS News that the driver crashed near the Volkswagen plant for “unknown reasons” and struck three pedestrians. One employee, identified by the department as Amber Reed, died at the scene. A second victim remained hospitalized with life-threatening injuries as of Sunday night, while a third was treated and released.
Chattanooga police have identified the driver as Jason Thornton. He was arrested and charged with negligent vehicular homicide, failure to exercise due care, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and speeding.
The company halted production at the plant for the day, and a Volkswagen spokesman said it, like the company, “continues to work closely with local law enforcement as it investigates the incident.”
