Tragedy struck last Friday in a deadly car collision involving a stolen Jeep and a taxicab at the intersection of 12th Avenue & Demonbreun Street in Nashville, which claimed the lives of two Florida residents. Witnesses report that the taxi driven by a 37-year-old driver, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, was legally crossing the intersection when the Jeep, speeding and traveling south on 12th Avenue, forcefully struck the vehicle on its passenger side.
The catastrophic impact took the life of a woman at the scene, and shortly after, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the accompanying male passenger succumbed to his injuries. Both passengers had been riding in the back seat of the Toyota van when the incident occurred. Trying to flee from the crash, George A. Chaney, the 37-year-old who is suspected of driving the Jeep, was injured and thereby unable to escape before police arrest him, according to the Nashville Police Department.
Chaney, with a criminal history that spans nearly two decades, was out on parole after serving time for heroin convictions and was due to be apprehended on a parole violation warrant. Last month's run-in with the law yielded charges of felony reckless endangerment with a vehicle, amongst other offenses, stemming from an episode that involved a stolen Dodge Charger and a high-speed pursuit. Despite these charges and a parole violation warrant issued on March 20, Chaney was released from jail on a $49,000 bond.
The Jeep involved in today's fatal incident was itself an item of theft, stolen from a Berry Hill apartment garage in February. In an attempt likely meant to obscure its identity, the originally red Jeep Grand Cherokee had been spray-painted black. The authorities are continuing their investigation into the crash. They will consult with the District Attorney's Office to determine the appropriate charges for Chaney, as noted in the police department's announcement.
