Overview

• Deputy Robert J. Leonard and Tabitha Smith were found dead after Leonard's patrol car crashed into the Tennessee River.
• The accident is believed to have occurred when Leonard, unfamiliar with the area, missed a turn while transporting Smith.
• Leonard had only been with the Meigs County Sheriff's Office for two months and was responding to his first arrest.
• Smith, a 35-year-old mother of two, was remembered by friends as a happy and outgoing person.
• An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with authorities considering the crash an unfortunate accident.