The Mt. Juliet Police Department is on the lookout for 21-year-old Donte Bell Jr., the suspect in a four-car hit-and-run injury crash that occurred on Friday afternoon in the vicinity of South Mt. Juliet Road near Graves Crossing. Bell, who fled the scene shortly after the crash around 4:30 p.m., is wanted on multiple charges, as stated in WSMV.
Following the incident, Bell's vehicle was found abandoned on Central Pike near John Wright Road. Inside, authorities discovered handgun magazines and marijuana. "Investigators believe Bell was picked up by an unknown individual and taken back to Nashville", notes the WKRN news release. In a previous offense, Bell was arrested for reportedly shooting his girlfriend and abandoning her with a broken leg in 2021.
The search for Bell was assisted by K-9 Citron, who with officers, scoured the immediate area after locating the suspect's vehicle. According to police, someone reported the car stolen evidently to shield Bell's identity, as per MJPD News. As a result of his actions, Bell faces charges that include leaving the scene of a crash with injury and unlawful possession of both marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The suspect's criminal background features an arrest in 2021 when officers found "a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his front pants pocket and $1,549 in cash." This is in addition to "another loaded pistol, three bags of marijuana and a digital scale," found in his Jeep, WKRN further elaborated. Currently on probation in Nashville, Bell's record is factored into his urgent apprehension. Anyone with pertinent information is urged to contact the Mt. Juliet Police Department.
