Zack Quaintance
Daily Egyptian
A sleeping man fell out of the back of a moving pickup truck on Route
57 less than an hour before the driver was arrested for driving under
the influence and driving with a suspended license, state police said.
Robert James Persinger, 31, of Carterville, fell out of the truck's
open gate, State Police Lt. Scott Rice said in a statement on the state
police's media line. The accident occurred in Franklin County at 5:09
a.m., and resulted in Persinger's death, Rice said.
Lee Haught, 24, of Colp, was the driver of the vehicle, Rice said.
After Persinger fell out of the truck, Haught was involved in an
accident in Marion and was eventually arrested for DUI and driving on a
suspended license. Although it is unknown whether or not he was wearing
his seat belt, he was unharmed and his truck was not damaged, Rice said.
After a wreck at 5:36 a.m. in Marion near Russell St. and W. Main St.,
Haught was taken into custody. Initially charged with aggravated
DUI, he was taken to Heartland Regional Medical Center, examined and
then moved to Williamson County Jail, a Marion police officer said.
The state police's statement said there was an additional charge for
driving on a suspended license, however, the Marion police would not
confirm that.
Rice said until the investigation is complete there is no way to know
if Persinger had also been drinking. It is unknown what, if any,
relationship the two men had.
The Pershinger's accident happened a half-mile past mile marker 75 in the southbound lane, Rice's statement said.
Reporter Zack Quaintance can be reached at
zack_quaintance@dailyegyptian.com.
