Authorities could be closer to finding out why hundreds of FedEx packages were dumped in a Blount County ravine.
Sheriff Mark Moon on Monday said the driver has been identified and questioned. He did not elaborate.
The discovery was made Wednesday when an estimated 300 to 400 packages of various sizes were found in the ditch off River Oak Trail on private property near Hayden.
Blount County sheriff’s deputies were sent to guard the scene until FedEx workers could arrive to pick up the packages, Sheriff Mark Moon said. FedEx sent multiple trucks and drivers from across the South to load up the packages, Moon said.
Moon said it appeared the packages had been at the scene within the last 24 hours, but it was not immediately clear why they were there.
Natasha Abney told WBMA-TV that her neighbor found the boxes on his property.
“I mean it was just a river of boxes,” Abney said. “Some busted open, some not.”
Efforts to reach FedEx officials Monday weren’t immediately available but the company on Friday said in a statement “The security of our customers’ shipments is a top priority, and we are committed to treating our customers’ packages with the utmost care.”
“We are taking steps to recover and transport the affected packages as quickly as possible,” the company said. “In addition to cooperating with law enforcement, we are conducting a review of this situation and will take the appropriate action.”
Moon on Monday posted this on Facebook: “There have been many questions coming in, mainly from media, regarding the FedEx debacle. Investigators have been speaking to FedEx security personnel and the driver has been identified and questioned. More to come, please be patient as we are currently getting into all the details. All the information that we can share will be shared when we can share it.”