Ohio Man Sentenced To 65 Months For Vehicular Homicide And Assault

KNOXVILLE Tenn. – On February 2, 2023, Bryce Allen Axline, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for vehicular homicide and vehicular assault by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.  Axline was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and, upon his release from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for three years.   

According to filed court documents, Axline's convictions resulted from a single-vehicle accident in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the night of June, 7, 2021.  Axline was intoxicated and driving recklessly when he crashed his car into an embankment on the Spur.  His two female passengers, both 19 years of age, were seriously injured during the crash.  One victim suffered life-altering injuries, and the other victim died shortly after the accident.  Axline was released from the hospital the following day after being treated for minor injuries.  He was interviewed by the National Park Service as his home and admitted that he was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred.  Based on an analysis of the vehicle's air bag module, the National Park Service determined that the vehicle was fully accelerated and traveling at 90 miles per hour just seconds before the accident occurred. 

The surviving victim provided a victim impact statement to the court explaining how the accident has affected her life.  The deceased victim’s family members also provided victim impact statements and were present in court for the sentencing hearing.  The deceased victim’s father addressed the court on behalf of the family.

The investigation was led by the National Park Service, Investigative Service Branch.

Assistant United States Attorney LaToyia T. Carpenter represented the United States.

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