Driver charged months after father killed in crash on I-40 near White Bridge Pike

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man has been arrested for his role in a crash on Interstate 40 that left a father dead and four people injured on July 4.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced Monday that Jalen Mahone, 24, was arrested for vehicular homicide by recklessness and aggravated assault.

According to police, the drivers were headed eastbound on I-40 in the midst of heavy rain when 29-year-old Jacabo Hernandez lost control of his Honda CRV.

Authorities reported the CRV hit a center median wall and came to a stop in a lane near the White Bridge Pike exit. MNPD said Hernandez went to the back seat to check on an 18-month-old baby, who was in a car seat, when the vehicle was rear-ended by a Dodge Ram pickup truck, which was driven by 24-year-old Jalen Mahone.

Further investigation revealed that Mahone was driving 20 miles over the speed limit at the time of the incident.

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Officials said Mahone was not injured in the crash. However, his two passengers — a 25-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy — sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, Hernandez’s two passengers, a 28-year-old-woman and an 18-month-old boy, suffered non-life-threatening injuries as well. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Mahone was released on a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court in October.

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