Knox County, KY - (Thursday February 8, 2018) - Sheriff Mike Smith is reporting that: On Saturday January 20, 2018 at approximately 1:40 am Knox County Deputy Andrew Lawson responded to a report of a two vehicle traffic collision on KY 11 near Green Briar Hollow Road in Girdler.
After conducting an investigation, Deputy Lawson determined a 2010 Chevy Equinox was traveling south on KY 11 when it crossed the centerline into the north bound lane of KY 11 striking a 2001 Jeep Cherokee driven by Tiffany Marcum Cummins of Manchester, KY head-on, knocking her vehicle off the roadway and over an embankment.
Tiffany Cummins was seriously injured and had to be cut out of her vehicle. She was airlifted to UK Medical Center in critical condition. Her husband, Chad Cummins, was also injured.
Witnesses stated the driver of the Equinox left the scene. The driver of the Equinox, Antonio Lopez, was located while walking north on KY 11 and brought back to the scene.
Antonio Lopez age 38 of Barbourville, KY, who was uninjured, was arrested and charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence, Leaving Scene of Accident and No Operators License. Lopez was lodged in the Knox County Detention Center.
Antonio Lopez was released on bond January 20, 2018 and failed to show up for arraignment on January 23, 2018. A Knox County Arrest Warrant for Assault-1st Degree and the traffic charges was issued at that time.
A search for Antonio Lopez revealed that he had left the state of Kentucky to avoid prosecution. Information was developed that Antonio Perez was in Fulton Mississippi. He was located and arrested on February 1, 2018 on the Knox County Warrant.
On February 5, 2018 Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith and SGT Carl Bolton traveled to Fulton Mississippi to pick up Antonio Perez, who had waved extradition. They returned on February 6, 2018 and lodged Antonio Perez in the Knox County Detention Center.
