NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A wrong-way driver faces nine charges, including driving under the influence, after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 West involving a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper left seven people injured, including two children.
According to a preliminary THP report, 38-year-old Timoteo Trujillo-Diaz was driving a Honda CR-V the wrong way on I-40 West Saturday night. Around 10:30 p.m., he crashed the car head-on into a Buik Encore near the Stewarts Ferry Pike exit. Both vehicles were left blocking the roadway.
At the same time, a THP trooper was traveling west bound on I-40 in pursuit of another vehicle. The trooper swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash but struck the Honda and came to a stop in the grass.
Trujillo-Diaz and his passengers, 25-year-old Miran Ayala Rivas and 30-year-old Vidal De Jesus Ayala Rivas were injured in the crash.
The Trooper, the Buick’s 35-year-old driver, and two children, ages 2 and 7, were also injured.
Davidson County jail records show Trujillo-Diaz is charged with DUI, four counts of vehicular assault and four counts of reckless endangerment involving a vehicle. He is being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
According to the preliminary report, one the Honda's passengers, Miran Ayala Rivas, could face charges pending the outcome of the investigation.
A portion I-40 West was closed for about six hours before reopening around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. The crash remains under investigation.
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