Nashville police officer killed in fiery crash
Nashville TN July 4 2019
The Metro Nashville Police Department is mourning the death of one their own after an early morning crash near Nissan Stadium downtown.
“It is with extreme sadness that the MNPD confirms the on-duty death of Central Precinct Officer John Anderson, 28, a 4-yr MNPD veteran,” said a statement from Metro police on Twitter.
Anderson, was killed in a fiery vehicle crash at 3:05 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Interstate Dr. & Woodland St. Police say his car was hit by a female 17-year-old driver in a Ford Fusion.
The Fusion also had an 18-year-old female passenger, who suffered life-threatening injures. The driver suffered minor injures. They have been transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Skyline Medical Center.
“Officer Anderson was a very well liked officer,” Police spokesman Don Aaron said during a press conference. “He was on the streets of Nashville serving this city.”
Anderson’s regular assignment was the midnight shift in the Central Precinct, which encompasses downtown.
Aaron said he was a member of the Drill and Ceremony Team, often tasked with honoring fallen officers not just in Nashville but throughout Middle Tennessee.
How the Nashville police officer crash happened:
Aaron said a different police officer attempted to stop the Fusion because the car was weaving and had its bright lights on but the driver did not stop.
The officer looked up the car’s information to see if it had been stolen but it wasn’t so he did not pursue, Aaron said in a press conference.
Officer Anderson was responding to assist another officer who was handling a pedestrian on the interstate, Aaron said. He was traveling to East Nashville on Woodland Street.
The driver of the Fusion was on Interstate Drive and had a red flashing light, spokesperson Kris Mumford said.
Anderson was at the intersection of Interstate Drive and Woodland Street when he was hit “very, very hard” by the Fusion on the driver’s side, Aaron said.
“The Fusion struck with tremendous impact,” Mumford said.
The impact pushed Anderson’s police cruiser to a nearby utility pole. “The police car did catch fire due to the impact,” Aaron said.
“The investigation will continue for the next many hours, days. We’ll see the results of it during that time,” Aaron said.
Around 8:30 a.m. Aaron said the driver was discharged from Vanderbilt and taken into custody. She will be charged with vehicular homicide by recklessness, evading arrest and driving with a suspended license.
