Last Sunday morning a long time area businessman, Charles ‘’Tom’’ Cagle, 37, owner of Ol’ Smoky Discount Tobacco stores at Macon Crossing in Seymour and on Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville died in his burning car according to authorities. The automobile was parked on a neighborhood street in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was discovered at approximately 5:00-5:10 a.m.
Detective Tommy Chestnut stated, “We are waiting on lab results and for the crime scene analysis to determine cause and nature of the fire. According to lab personal they are going to put a rush on it to get the information to us as soon as possible.” When asked if the detective felt it was a crime scene Chestnut stated, “We don’t have a comment on that, except for the fact that it is a crime scene until it is proved either accidental, mechanical or otherwise.”
The model of Cagle’s car was recalled for a defect in an engine auxiliary cooling fan. Cagle’s car had gone through the recall before he purchased it according to Vince Storm, office manager for Ol’ Smokey’s Discount Tobacco.
“At this point they are assuming it was an accidentally death. I went and spent four days in South Carolina. I just don’t know what happened. They are running the tests and then they will let us know,” said Storm. “Tom would have been 37-years-old on October 22nd. The police said the car was engulfed in flames when the police arrived. We might not ever know what happened.” Storm stated that the company has been opened since 1996 and in all that time only two people have quit. “People who work here stay here. That says a lot about our company and our people. We are like a family. Tom always said we are like a family. We just want to know what happened.”
Atchley Funeral Home in Sevierville was in charge of funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either: Smoky Mountain Children’s Home, In Memory of Tom Cagle, c/o Tennessee State Bank, P.O. Box 4188, Sevierville, TN 37864 or Gideon International, P.O. Box 429, Seymour, TN 37865.

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