2 men facing drug, felony charges after driving on sidewalks in Nashville pursuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Two men are behind bars following a multi-vehicle pursuit through Nashville Thursday night in which police said the suspects drove on sidewalks and threw guns out of one of the vehicles.

Mario Woodard, 22, and Montrell Hinton, 22, were arrested and booked into the Downtown Detention Center on Thursday, Oct. 3 on multiple charges ranging from evading arrest to felony possession of a controlled substance, according to jail records.

In an arrest affidavit, officers said they first encountered the two suspects in a black Honda sedan. While stopped at a red light at Woodland Street and South 5th Street, police said they saw the driver, later identified as Woodard, throw “a large amount of trash” out of the window.

After running the vehicle’s Tennessee tag, officers learned that the car had an expired registration and tried to initiate a traffic stop. However, Woodard reportedly sped off at a “high rate of speed.”

As police gave chase, they said Woodard began driving on sidewalks in an attempt to get away. A helicopter crew with Metro Nashville Police Department continued to monitor the Honda as the pursuit stretched to Old Hickory Boulevard.

According to the affidavit, Woodard eventually parked the Honda at a gas station off Old Hickory Boulevard, where the suspects got out of the car and loaded several items into a blue Chevrolet Malibu. Woodard then got into the driver’s seat of the Malibu, with Hinton in the backseat, and took off again.

Authorities said they were able to successfully deploy spike strips at Mcferrin Avenue near Douglas Avenue, ending the pursuit. Just before the suspects reportedly bailed from the Malibu, officers said they spotted them throwing two handguns out of the front and back seats.

Both Woodard and Hinton were taken into custody following a short foot pursuit. A third person in the car was also taken into custody and later released.

Police said they found four bags of marijuana, totaling 18.3 grams, in Hinton’s flight path, in addition to 2.5 more grams of the substance on his person.

Woodard was also searched after his arrest, and reportedly had 10 grams of M30 pills, which tested positive for fentanyl. A total of 540 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a box of empty plastic sandwich bags were found left inside the blue Malibu, police reported.

During an interview, investigators said Woodard claimed that the marijuana left inside the vehicle belonged to him. Officials said they also discovered that Woodard does not have a driver’s license in Tennessee.

⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com

The charges against him include possession of marijuana, possession of a schedule 2 controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor and felony evading arrest, possession of a firearm and driving without a license.

Hilton is charged with probation violation, possession of marijuana, evading arrest and possession of a firearm. As of Friday, Oct. 4, both were still behind bars in Nashville.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.