UPDATE: Dec. 23 at 5:07 p.m.
LEX 18 did some digging into Hammack's criminal record and found that he had more than 50 cases in Florida.
That includes three separate DUI arrests in Citrus County, Florida, one in 2001, one in 2020, and another in 2021.
LEX 18 reached out to the courthouse in Cumberland County, Tennessee, where Hammack lives now. They found three cases.
One of those was a September domestic violence case. Hammack entered a guilty plea for that just 11 days ago. A judge sentenced him to time served.
UPDATE: Dec. 23 at 1:30 p.m.
46-year-old Joel Hammack, who was arrested in connection to a fatal collision on Dec. 21 in Adair County, was arraigned on Monday morning.
Hammack pleaded not guilty, and his bond was set at $1 million cash. His preliminary hearing will be on Dec. 30.
Original Story:
One juvenile is dead, and two other individuals were injured, including another juvenile, following a vehicle collision in Adair County Saturday afternoon.
According to Kentucky State Police, the collision took place on the KY 55 Bypass near the intersection of Pelham Branch Road around 4 p.m. CST.
An investigation revealed that 46-year-old Joel Hammack was traveling south at a high rate of speed when his vehicle collided with that of 62-year-old Townya Ritzie. The vehicle was then forced off the roadway and overturned.
A juvenile passenger was pronounced dead on the scene of the collision. Two other passengers, 66-year-old Susan Morgan and another juvenile, were transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
Ritzie and another passenger were transported to be treated for minor injuries.
Hammack was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide under the influence of alcohol, DUI, fourth offense or greater, and three counts of first and second-degree assault.
A passenger in Hammack's vehicle, 45-year-old Walter Nichols, "was unruly as (first responders) attempted to aid those involved."
He was also arrested and charged with third-degree assault (EMS, fire, rescue squad), fourth-degree assault (minor injury), third-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree disorderly conduct, and alcohol intoxication in a public place.
Both Hammack and Nichols are housed in the Adair County Detention Center.
The collision remains under investigation.
