A high-speed police chase that ripped across Nashville on Monday ended in twisted metal on Bell Road, two disabled vehicles and several injured people, according to Metro police. Officers say the 20-year-old driver took off from an attempted traffic stop, crashed into another car and then tried to run before they caught him. The woman who owned the SUV, who had been out working a food-delivery shift, was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and another driver suffered a head injury.
The Chase and Crash
According to court documents, Metro officers first tried to pull over a Chevy Equinox after it failed to come to a complete stop while exiting a gas station on Dickerson Pike at Ewing Drive. Rather than stopping, the SUV sped off, with a police helicopter picking up the chase from above.
Officers moved to deploy spike strips on Bell Road as the pursuit continued. Before those could fully do their job, police say the Equinox crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into another vehicle that was stopped at a red light. The impact disabled both vehicles and choked traffic along a busy stretch of Bell Road, according to WKRN.
Weapons, Charges and Booking
Court documents identify the driver as Brian Williams, who told officers he "did not stop because he thought he had warrants and thought someone threw a brick rather than spike strips," according to the records. When officers searched the SUV, they say they found a Glock handgun fitted with a conversion device and an extended magazine that held 22 rounds, with one round chambered, on the driver’s-side floorboard.
Williams was booked into the Metro jail and now faces a long list of charges: felony probation violation, reckless driving, felony kidnapping, felony evading arrest, felony weapon possession, leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a revoked license. His bond was set at $142,000, as reported by WKRN. Federal prosecutors have treated machine-gun conversion devices like so-called "Glock switches" as especially dangerous, noting in recent cases that those converters can turn ordinary pistols into fully automatic weapons, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Local Trend and Reaction
This crash is the latest in a string of high-speed pursuits around Nashville this year that have sparked questions about how and when police give chase, and what it means for public safety. Earlier this spring, reporting detailed a South Nashville chase that left two Metro officers hospitalized, underscoring how quickly these encounters can injure both officers and bystanders.
Neighbors along Bell Road said they were rattled by the latest crash and want answers as investigators sift through dashcam and aerial video to piece together every step of the pursuit.
What’s Next
Williams remains in custody while investigators and prosecutors review body-cam and aerial footage. Metro police are asking anyone who may have video of the pursuit or the crash to contact detectives. Court filings and the MNPD investigation will determine whether additional charges are added before an initial hearing in Davidson County.
