Tenn. man pleads not guilty to murder in crash

Associated Press - November 24, 2009 9:15 AM ET

MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - A Tennessee man has pleaded not guilty in southern Kentucky to murder in a traffic crash that killed a soft drink truck driver.

A grand jury upgraded a manslaughter charge against 21-year-old James P'Poole of Clarksville, Tenn., to murder after hearing police evidence against him. The charge follows the Oct. 9 traffic death of 52-year-old Donny Houston of Camden, Tenn., on U.S. 641 in Calloway County.

Police arrested P'Poole after his pickup sideswiped a Pepsi truck driven by Houston.

The larger vehicle hit a tree and caught fire in a field. Houston died at the scene.

The Paducah Sun said an arrest report stated P'Poole at first told police he had drunk two beers, but later said he'd downed six.

P'Poole entered his not guilty pleas Monday in Murray to charges of murder, aggravated DUI and trying to leave the scene of an accident.

Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com