23-year-old Fort Campbell Soldier Matthew Thornton was involved in a car crash at the intersection of Lafayette Road and North Liberty Church Road on April 5th, 2023. He reportedly left the scene of the accident and walked in the direction of Northwest High School. The vehicle was stuck on a utility pole guide wire with multiple airbags deployed. Officers observed military gear bearing the name “Thorton” and later responded to the Flats at Lancaster, where Matthew lived. They discovered blood in the residence, which matched the blood located inside the crashed vehicle.
Later, Mrs. Thornton, Matthew’s wife, came to the scene of the accident. She stated that she and Matthew rode together in her car to a friend’s house, where she dropped him off. Mrs. Thornton advised that Matthew had his phone with him at the friend’s house but originally stated his phone was showing the location of his vehicle. She also added that she was unsure about how he got back home.
Officers contacted Madison Swanson, the friend whom Matthew had been dropped off. Swanson stated that Matthew arrived disoriented and injured and that they had all been drinking earlier in the evening. At Swanson’s apartment, officers finally came into contact with Matthew, who had an injury to his thumb that was bleeding. A blood sample was taken, which came back .118% BAC. Matthew Thornton was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence.
