Eric Eatherly
Police said a 35-year-old former Chattanooga man was killed in a crash in Alcoa, Tn., on Monday morning and his father was critically injured along with another person. He was identified as Eric Barton Eatherly.
The accident happened when the father, 61-year-old Joe Eatherly of Oak Ridge, tried to make a U-turn around 6:37 a.m. He was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette southbound on Alcoa Highway near the Airport Hilton, according to a report by WATE TV.
The Corvette was hit by a 2004 Ford Escape driven by a 48-year-old Knoxville woman.
Joe Eatherly was taken to UT Medical Center. Eric Eatherly, a passenger, died in the crash.
The Escape driver had non-life threatening injuries.
Police said they do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
Eric Eatherly was born in San Francisco on April 24, 1979. He moved to Chattanooga at age four and lived here until he graduated from Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences in 1997. He then went to Northwestern University where he graduated with a BA degree in dance. After graduation, he was a professional dancer until an injury ended his career. He became vice president of The Silverman Group public relations company in Chicago.
His mother is Nancy Follis, who lives in Hixson.
Eric Eatherly is the nephew of Chattanoogan.com sports writer John Hunt.
As of right now, a memorial service is planned for the weekend of Jan. 17 in Chicago with time and further details to be announced.