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In Jonesborough, Tennessee, the court proceedings for Steven Kotsonis, a 36-year-old charged with a tragic vehicular incident in downtown Johnson City, unfolded with significant developments on Thursday. Kotsonis is accused of driving into a parking lot, resulting in one death and injuries to three others.
The preliminary hearing on Thursday featured crucial evidence, including footage from flock cameras capturing the May 9th incident and the swift response from community members rushing to the scene of the fatal crash.
Five witnesses took the stand during the session, among them the three victims who survived the ordeal. They provided their testimonies, shedding light on the events of that fateful night.
Macy Street, one of the survivors, was the first to testify. She shared what she could recall from the night of the accident. “A group of us were celebrating our graduation from ETSU the night before,” Street recounted. “We decided to go out and celebrate since everyone was in town. After the bars closed, we noticed a food truck we hadn’t seen before and thought, ‘Why not get a little something to eat?’ We were just in line waiting, and that’s the last thing I remember.”
“A bunch of us were all celebrating graduation at ETSU the night before. We’re all going out, you know, celebrate because everyone was in town,” said Street. “So after the bars closed, we were like, ‘oh there’s a food truck, let’s go get some food, we never seen it before, so like okay lets just go get a little something to eat, it’s no big deal.’ So we’re just waiting in line, and that’s all that I remember that happened.”
Street’s injuries include a broken pelvis, concussion, a collapsed lung and road rash.
The next victim to testify about the night of May 9th was Ethan Saxon.
“I remember just basically looking at the food truck and getting hit by something that wasn’t, you know, in my field of view,” said Saxon. “I knew that it came behind me, the car did.”
When asked what it felt like, Saxon said it was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Saxon’s injuries include a fractured part of his right foot and scratches.
The last victim to recount the night of the incident was Riley Gowan. She told News Channel 11 about the last thing she remembers.
“Laying down, seeing some blood, and then blacking out in the ambulance.”
Gowan’s injuries include a gash on her forehead that required stitches, a fractured nose, multiple abrasions, etc.
Each victim said the pain they continue to endure is extreme.
Following the victims’ testimony, both the state and the appointed public defender deliberated on Kotsonis’s bond. By the end of the hearing, Judge Monk said the $5 million bond for Kotsonis will remain.
Kotsonis is facing multiple charges, including 3 counts of vehicular assault, vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene with property damage.
Kotsonis is set to appear in court again on August 7th at 9 a.m.