Teen driver drank 4 beers before crash that killed 14-year-old passenger, TN cops say
A 14-year-old girl died when a teen driver drove drunk and crashed his car, Tennessee police say.
The 17-year-old driver was driving “very fast” on Briley Parkway when he lost control while going around a curve on the afternoon of Oct. 19, Metro Nashville Police Department officers said. The 2003 Honda Accord “crossed all four lanes of travel” before landing in a wood line off the road.
Police said the driver showed signs of impairment after the wreck and admitted to officials that he had consumed four beers before the crash. The teen is in a hospital but will be charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication and two counts of aggravated assault when he is discharged, officers said.
As a result of the crash, a passenger believed to be 14 years old was killed, police said. Officials are still working to confirm her identity because her injuries are so severe.
The girl is presumed to have been a Hunters Lane High School student, a Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson told McClatchy News in an email.
Two 16-year-old passengers, one boy and one girl, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, police said.
They are also Hunters Lane students, according to the school district spokesperson.
“Our heart goes out to the family of the student who died in the crash and we are hoping for a speedy recovery for the injured students,” the spokesperson said.
Hunters Lane High School will have social workers available for students and staff in need of support, according to the spokesperson.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Teen driver drank 4 beers before crash that killed 14-year-old passenger, TN cops say."
