NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A 28-year-old man faces vehicular homicide charges after an early morning crash killed a woman on Interstate 24 East.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said that John Baudendistel has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication. He allegedly was involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a 51-year-old Murfreesboro woman.
Police responded to the accident near the Bell Road exit around 4 a.m. on June 29. Officers found four vehicles at the scene but only two drivers were present. Police said an initial crash happened between a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek and a 2003 Honda Accord. The 51-year-old woman was driving a Nissan Sentra and slowing down to avoid the first crash. Baudendistel’s Nissan Rogue then struck the back of her vehicle, officers reported.
The drivers of the first two vehicles fled on foot before police arrived. Police found evidence of alcohol use in the abandoned vehicles.
Emergency crews transported the Murfreesboro woman to Vanderbilt Hospital. She succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
Officers noted that Baudendistel’s eyes appeared glossy and red at the scene. His speech was slurred when police questioned him. Baudendistel reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol before the crash occurred. He showed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test. Police also discovered an open alcoholic drink in the console of Baudendistel’s Rogue.
The Metro Nashville Police Department released Baudendistel on a $25,000 bond. Police seek information about the two hit-and-run drivers who fled the scene.
