On October 13, 2024 at approximately 9:05am, Deputies were dispatched to the JFK Overlook area for a possible vehicle crash reported by OnStar. When Deputies arrived in the area, they located a fence at the Overlook that appeared to have been hit by a vehicle. Upon further investigation, a vehicle was located at the bottom of the Dam on the river side, below where the fence had been damaged. Based on photographs, after the vehicle went through the fence, it left the bluff and overturned, striking the dam before coming to a stop at the bottom.
Deputies, along with several other agencies including State Police, Corps of Engineers, Tumbling Shoals Ida EMS, Search and Rescue, Heber Fire, Game and Fish, and OEM were able to get to the vehicle, and located two occupants. One occupant, believed to be the driver, was ejected and pronounced deceased at the scene. He was identified as Ismael Ponce, 30, of Clarksville. The female passenger was airlifted to Little Rock, where she is in stable but critical condition. She has been identified as Dafne Lopez, 18, of Union City, Tennessee.
Investigators are still working to identify factors that led to the wreck. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this tough time.
The investigation is ongoing.
-Sheriff Chris Brown