KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A drunk driver has been convicted after a deadly crash along Maynardville Highway that left two people dead in December 2025.
Jose Roberto Rivera-Recarte, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication, reckless aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. He was then sentenced to 16 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
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A release from the District Attorney’s Office explained that on December 4, 2025, Rivera-Recarte was drinking at a bar in Union County when he left and started driving south on Maynardville Pike toward Knox County. He was reportedly offered a ride, but refused it, and the witness called the Union County Sheriff’s Office to report the impaired driving. Union County officers attempted to stop Rivera-Recarte, but he fled and crashed into two other vehicles, killing two people and injuring a third.
The DA’s office said he did not have a driver’s license or insurance and handed over a Honduran passport. He also performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken into custody. A blood test conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation showed Rivera-Recarte’s blood alcohol content to be 0.165, which is more than twice the legal limit.
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“Two families are grieving the loss of their loved ones and another victim was injured because of the selfish choices of a drunk driver who turned down a free ride home,” said DA Allen…