By Patty Blackburn
At approximately 5:20 p.m. on March 17, a wreck with injuries and aggravated assault was reported on Franklin Pike near the intersection of Snell Road. Please note that this case is under investigation.
To follow, are the statements from the victim of the assault, Derick Perry and his friend, Matthew Brown.
Perry and Brown stated that the motorcycle in the wreck had been stolen from Savannah Baker. No report had been filed and the registered owner of the motorcycle, Mark Addis, was currently in prison. The motorcycle had been posted on FB Marketplace and they realized it was the one that was stolen, so they messaged the seller to try to get it back. Perry set up a meeting with Xavier Harris, the seller, to meet at Walmart and told Harris that Baker wanted to test drive the bike. While she was test driving, he told Harris he would give him the money.
Baker left the parking lot on the motorcycle and Perry followed close behind her on North Ellington Pkwy. Once on Franklin Pike, he passed her so she could follow him home. When he looked behind him, he saw Harris and two other males in a vehicle, Omarion Williams and Christopher Wilhoite, pull up behind Baker and strike the rear of the motorcycle with the front of the vehicle they were in. Williams, who was the driver, then pulled up beside Baker and swerved at her, causing her to leave the roadway and wreck. Perry and Brown then stopped to check on Baker. The three males also stopped and attempted to assault Baker. Perry tried to intervene and Wilhoite began swinging a knife around, cutting Perry once across the chest and once on his right wrist. All three males left the scene in a red Mercury Mountaineer with a temporary tag. Baker also suffered injuries due to the wreck.
The three subjects in the Mountaineer left the scene and were located in the area of 440 5th Ave North.
To follow, are the statements from Harris and Williams.
Harris and Williams stated that they met Perry and Baker at Walmart to sell the motorcycle. They stated that Baker left on the motorcycle and Perry in a truck with Brown. They followed Baker and Perry and stressed they obeyed all traffic laws until they reached Franklin Pike, when they accelerated to keep up with Baker and Perry. They stated they pulled beside Baker and attempted to signal her to stop, but she ignored them. Then Williams attempted to pull in front of the truck, but another car was coming, so they pulled in behind the truck, and in front of the motorcycle.
They said the truck slammed on the brakes, causing Williams to slam on his, and the motorcycle swerved around them and traveled on the oncoming fog line, riding on the rumble strip. Baker lost control and wrecked the motorcycle in the curve of Franklin Pike at the intersection of Snell Road.
They did not state why they left the scene. Christopher Wilhoite was arrested for Aggravated Assault. Again, this incident is under investigation by the Lewisburg Police Dept.
