Corbin man accused of hitting teen escapes from home incarceration

A Corbin man accused of hitting a teen with his van in September is now wanted on escape charges after cutting off his home incarceration bracelet and fleeing the area.

Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer said 47-year-old Terry Mullins’ ankle bracelet was found Friday evening in a ditch on U.S. 25E near Lowes Home Improvement store.

Acciardo said deputies have reason to believe Mullins may have fled to the Cleveland area of Ohio where he has family.

Mullins, who was arrested September 5 on charges of first-degree assault, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs and leaving the scene of an accident, had been released September 9 on a $25,000 cash bond with the added condition of home monitoring.

About 3 p.m. Friday, law enforcement was made aware that Mullins had fled from home incarceration on foot.

Mullins is described as a white male, 5’9”, 150 pounds, with long brown hair and green eyes. Mullins left leg has been amputated and he wears a metal prosthetic leg.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 864-6600 or Laurel dispatch at 878-7000. Callers may remain anonymous.

Mullins was scheduled to appear in Laurel Circuit Court Friday for the return of indictments.

According to Sheriff John Root, deputies began an investigation the night of September 4 after they responded to a complaint of an intruder at a home on Green Field Lane off of American Greeting Road and found Mullins passed out behind the wheel of his van.

The van had damage to the right front bumper, grill and windshield, hair embedded in the windshield and a backpack embedded in the grill.

Identification found inside the backpack led deputies to a residence on Ky. 2392 where they spoke to the teen’s parents.

The parents told deputies that their son had left home on his bike soon after arriving home from school but was late coming home.

Deputies and Kentucky State Police began a search of the area. Trooper Chris Saunders found the teen and the remains of his bike on U.S. 25 and called for an ambulance.

A landing zone was established at Hunter Hills Elementary School and the teen was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Lt. Chuck Johnson, accident reconstructionist for the sheriff’s department, determined that Mullins had been travelling north on U.S. 25 when he ran off the shoulder of the road and struck the bike, ejecting the teen into the ditch. Mullins continued on and was approximately two miles from the scene of the crash when deputies found him.

Under Kentucky Law, first-degree assault is a Class B felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.