MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. — The bodies of a Meigs County deputy and a female suspect, along with the deputy’s vehicle were recovered from the Tennessee river Thursday.

This happened after the deputy arrested the woman late Wednesday night.

There are many unknowns as to how they ended up in the river.

But some question if poor visibility on the road late at night led to this tragic incident.

From where deputy Leonard was headed, it was night and it was hard to see the street.

Officials say his car continued into the river.

Crews removed the deputy’s vehicle from the river off Blythe Ferry Road a little after noon on Thursday.

They found the woman’s body in the back seat.

During a press update, questions were raised about the amount of warning signs leading into that area and potential ways to make the area safer.

“It’s never really been discussed. There is stop signs, there’s rumble strips that say stop before you get down. But it is a dangerous spot because you kind of cross a hill, then you are down the ramp and into the water,” says Chief Deputy Malone.

The sheriff’s office says Deputy Leonard might not have known about the potential danger near the river, since he has only lived in Meigs County for a couple months.

There are two stop signs just before the road dumps into the river. However, there is a paved turn off into a dock area to the left just past the stop signs.   If the Deputy didn’t see the stop signs he would have just driven at full speed into the river not knowing there was a river there.  It is possible the Deputy saw the stop signs, watched for traffic coming from the dock area (thinking it was a four way type stop) and after seeing no traffic from the intersecting road ahead, proceeed ahead and then into the river-which would not have easilty been visible at night.

Authorities stated there have been numerous accidents there before.  As recent as a month ago a woman drove off into the river but not injured.

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