ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) — The parents of a 21-year-old motorcyclist killed in a crash on Clinton Highway are calling on drivers to pay more attention on the road, as charges remain pending against the school bus driver involved in the collision.
James Pruitt Jr. — known to nearly everyone as “Junebug” — died after his motorcycle crashed into a school bus at the intersection of Clinton Highway and Old State Circle on Feb. 17.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said the school bus was at a stop sign on Old State Circle when it began to turn left onto Clinton Highway, failing to yield to traffic. THP confirmed Pruitt was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
No children were on the bus but the driver was injured. Charges are pending against the bus driver, and the crash remains under investigation.
“Wild. Junebug was definitely outgoing, adventurous and always looking for a good time,” Dusty Pruitt said. “We were more four-wheeler go-kart people, but he always wanted dirt bikes. So, we always would try to find something for him to ride on two wheels.”
The family said Pruitt had been riding since he was in single digits and that his love of motorcycles was no surprise to anyone who knew him.
At the time of his death, Pruitt had been promoted to sales manager at a car dealership at age 21 and had been given a company car. His parents said he had purchased an engagement ring and that a wedding had been planned for this year.
The family said the outpouring of support from the Clinton community and beyond has been both shocking and comforting. Dusty Pruitt said her phone rings from 6 a.m. to midnight with calls from people sharing stories about her son — including strangers who found her number on their own.
“It’s nice to hear the stories,” she said. “He was infectious. Like, his smile, his laugh.”
James Pruitt said the response from the community caught him off guard.
Pruitt’s death is one of several motorcycle fatalities on Tennessee roads since the start of the year. A study by the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security found more than 17,000 motorcycle crashes statewide, resulting in more than 900 deaths. The most common causes include inattentive drivers, impairment, unsafe left turns and drivers who fail to see motorcyclists.
James Pruitt, who drives a semi-truck for work, said the responsibility falls on all drivers.
“On a motorcycle, you have to watch everybody else,” he said. “It’s not you that you got to worry about. It’s everybody else. Everybody just needs to pay more attention.”
“This is not a go out and terrorize my town that has been here for me,” she said. “Everybody go out, be safe, do the ride and come back and let’s celebrate him — the good, not the bad.”
That ride will begin at 1 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Norris Dam lower parking lot. The family has also started a GoFundMe.
