A deadly crash in Tennessee made headlines all over the state on Christmas Eve. Four women were killed in the auto accident, and the driver behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit them is accused of drunk driving.
The man pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him in a video arraignment. Police charged him with vehicular homicide, as well as identify theft. They say he used a driver’s license belonging to someone else. Other charges include drunk driving, reckless driving, resisting official detention and speeding.
According to the Commercial Appeal, the man was driving a Chevy Silverado pickup truck on Raleigh-Millington Road at the Loosahatchie River bridge. He apparently rear-ended the sedan in which the women were riding.
The impact caused the sedan to swerve into traffic, where it was struck by another pickup truck. All four women were killed in the collision. Two of them, both in their mid-40s, were sisters, and one of the women was their niece. Two people in the other pickup truck were also hospitalized with injuries.
The 32-year-old man, who is from Jackson, is due back in court in early January, at which time a preliminary hearing will be set. He is reportedly being held without bond until then.
Authorities say the man is wanted in several other counties on various charges, including forgery, theft, driving offenses and violating his probation. Police say they also plan to continue their investigation to determine what exactly caused the crash.
Source: Commercial Appeal, “Suspect pleads not guilty in fatal Christmas Eve car crash,” Lawrence Buser, Dec. 27, 2011