Woman charged after motorcyclist killed on I-40

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 35-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the death of a motorcyclist on Interstate 40 in Donelson earlier this year.

The crash happened in the westbound lanes near the Briley Parkway interchange in Donelson around 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 16.

According to Metro police, Justin Fortner was riding with another motorcyclist when he was struck and killed. The driver of a Buick Enclave, later identified as Catherine Reed, told officers a truck, possibly a semi, traveled around her and struck Fortner, according to a release.

Reed reportedly told investigators this truck did not stop and continued north on Briley Parkway as Fortner was thrown from the motorcycle.

The Buick sustained front-end damage from crashing into the motorcycle after the collision. Detectives then worked to confirm the Reed’s details of how the crash occurred, according to a release.

A roadside safety advocate reached out to investigators and provided video of the crash recorded by Tennessee Department of Transportation cameras, according to court documents. The video reportedly shows only the two motorcycles and Buick take the same exit with no semi-truck involved.

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Reed provided a statement to detectives she admitted to hitting the motorcycle but believed she had been cut off and only had a maximum of four beers through the night, according to Metro police.

Investigators collected data recordings from the Buick and determined Reed was driving 85 mph on the exit ramp, which has a posted speed limit of 45 mph.

Reed was booked into the Metro jail Wednesday and charged with vehicular homicide. She was released on a $15,000 bond.

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