Nicole Young, and Natalie Neysa Alund

The Tennessean

The Tennessee Highway Patrol has released the names of everyone involved in a three-vehicle crash that killed a Greenbrier man Thursday morning on Highway 76 in Robertson County.

Richard Kessinger, 24, of Springfield, has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the crash and was being held without bond at the Robertson County Jail as of Thursday evening.

Kessinger was driving his maroon 2006 Buick LCX west towards Springfield when he crossed the center line and struck a 2014 motorcycle head-on, according to a preliminary report issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Thursday evening.

The driver of the motorcycle, Wallace E. Young, 40, of Greenbrier, was thrown from the bike during the collision, the report said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorcycle was "crushed into two parts" during the incident, the report said. One half was dragged beneath the car as it left the roadway.The other half hit a 2007 Chevy van that was following the motorcycle at the time of the crash, the report said.

The driver of the van, Chad Bryan, 33, of Springfield, was not injured in the crash, the report notes.

The reason the car crossed the center line remains under investigation, but authorities believe Kessinger was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, THP Lt. Bill Miller said.

Kessinger was given a field sobriety test at the scene. The THP also obtained blood evidence from Kessinger, which will be sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for further analysis, Miller said. He added that it is the agency’s policy to seek blood evidence when a fatality is involved.

“This is an extremely terrible incident that’s taken place behind me here,” Miller said from the scene. “It’s as bad as it’s going to get. It really is.”

Emergency crews responded to the scene at about 7:38 a.m. near New Hall Road, according to dispatch.

The crash blocked the highway in both directions, dispatch said. Traffic remained at a standstill for hours while investigators worked on the scene.

“It’s a beautiful morning. It’s an ideal morning for motorcyclists, but, with motorcycles come an inherent risk,” Miller said. “You have to be vigilant and this person, with all due vigilance in place, there’s probably not anything that they could have done to avoid this type of crash that happened today. It’s in a slight curve. It’s not a blind curve … and the car simply came across the center line.

“The sad side to this is that a person has lost their life. Most people don’t realize or don’t really take into consideration that it could be any one of us here at any moment that has a loved one taken from us or we, ourselves, could be taken from our loved ones.”

The accident should be a reminder to everyone about how important it is not to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Miller said.

Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at 615-259-8072. Follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. Reach Nicole Young at 615-384-3567. Follow her on Twitter @nyoung80

An earlier version of this story reported an incorrect age for Wallace Young based upon information provided by THP.