Wanted man dead after crashing, jumping over retaining wall on I-40 exit ramp

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Nashville man died Friday night after reportedly crashing at an exit ramp off Interstate 40, jumping over a retaining wall, and falling a significant distance.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said the investigation shows that an officer from the Hermitage Precinct was heading westbound on I-40 at approximately 8:11 p.m. on Friday, June 28 when he saw an Infiniti G37 sedan merge onto the interstate with a loosely attached expired license plate that was flopping in the wind.

Officials said the officer activated his blue lights and tried to perform a traffic stop, but the Infiniti accelerated at a high speed and moved over to the far left lane, so the officer turned off his lights and didn’t pursue the car. However, another officer traveling on I-40 West saw the Infiniti pass him at a high rate of speed.

According to authorities, the car moved over to the far right lane and took the Briley Parkway south exit ramp. Based on the evidence, the Infiniti struck the left retaining wall, then the right one, before stopping on the right side of the ramp.

Police said they drove up and saw the driver get out of the car, run behind the Infiniti, and jump over the right retaining wall before he fell a significant distance to the grassy area next to the Briley Parkway north exit ramp.

According to MNPD, officers tried to help the man before he was brought to TriStar Skyline Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. As of this writing, officials have been unable to find his next of kin.

Authorities said the driver — described only as a 22-year-old from Nashville — was wanted in Sumner County on an outstanding felony probation violation warrant at the time of the incident. In addition, officers reportedly found a Glock pistol equipped with a switch to make it fully automatic, a drum magazine with bullets, 22.7 grams of crystal meth, 55.7 grams of a white powder, 17.1 grams of a purple powder, and two digital scales inside the Infiniti .

Detectives said they expect the man’s death will be classified as accidental, pending the autopsy report from the medical examiner.

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