A driver has been slapped with DUI and gun charges after an incident that led to a power outage and traffic chaos on NW Broad Street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Murfreesboro TN Police Department's social media post details that 28-year-old Jordan Deante Smartt, driving a black Jeep Grand Cherokee last Friday, crashed into several electric poles, causing extensive damage and power disruption.
While no serious injuries were reported, the chaos ensued around 5:27 a.m. as wires drooped dangerously low across the street near Medical Center Parkway. A dump truck driver managed to stop in time and navigated beneath the wires, while a third vehicle, a blue Chevrolet Equinox, was hit trying to cross NW Broad from Medical Center Parkway. The Equinox sustained serious damage, but fortunately, its driver walked away unharmed. Smartt, after being released from the hospital, was confronted with the law and is facing charges of DUI, marking this incident as his second offense, and possession of a handgun while under the influence, with the gun being found loaded.
Following the crash, intricate cleanup and restoration operations took place. According to the police department's updates, outbound lanes on NW Broad Street partially reopened first, followed by one inbound lane. Meanwhile, crews from the local utility companies, MTE and AT&T, worked to mend the damaged infrastructure. Traffic was rerouted onto alternative routes like Memorial Blvd. and Old Fort Pkwy, with directed flow being managed on-the-spot by officers as traffic lights remained down.
The situation has since been resolved, and all lanes of traffic were reopened. Smartt's predicament continues: he was released on a $35,000 bond and is due to appear in court on June 17 at the Rutherford County General Sessions Court as the investigation into the crash presses on.
