NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — A weekend that was meant for celebrations turned into a day of mourning for a Nashville community, as a teenage girl lost her life in a devastating ATV crash. Despite the efforts of a neighbor, the outcome was tragic.
The incident unfolded on Darbytown Drive over the weekend, when two 14-year-olds were riding on an ATV. The joyride quickly turned into a nightmare when Metro Nashville Police say the ATV collided with the driver's side of an SUV. Neither of the teens was wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
Dieuna Crispin, a neighbor, jumped into action in the midst of the chaos. Witnessing the aftermath of crash from her home, Crispin rushed to aid the injured teen.
"It broke my heart because I’m a mother of three and then all of them was right here witnessing the whole thing," Crispin said.
Just at the end of her driveway, Crispin discovered one of the teens lying injured on the ground. Without hesitation, she began administering CPR, desperately trying to save the girl's life. Despite signs of responsiveness from the victim, tragically, she did not survive her injuries.
"She was responding, was breathing using her right hand, her right leg, but she wasn't moving her left side. That was a relief because the fact that she was breathing, and she was crying. She was like okay, I'm in pain, but she was okay, and then they left."
The victim, identified as 14-year-old Melanie Mozqueda, succumbed to her injuries a few days after the crash.
"We thought everything was okay up until yesterday who heard that she passed," Crispin said. "It broke my heart because I’m a mother of three and then all of them was right here witnessing the whole thing."
The driver of the ATV sustained minor injuries, while the driver of the SUV emerged unscathed. Authorities confirmed that there was no evidence of intoxication at the scene.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom