A passenger was killed in a drag-racing-related crash in Nashville, and police are seeking the driver.
The Metro Nashville Police Department described the crash as drag-racing-related. The department reported that the driver is wanted. As WKRN News 2 reports, a passenger died in the crash.
Police have issued multiple arrest warrants for the driver, the department says.
Tennessee's Tougher Drag Racing Penalties
Tennessee lawmakers rewrote the state's street racing laws. Under legislation signed by Governor Bill Lee in May 2024, illegal drag racing was upgraded from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony, according to the TBA Law Blog. The tougher penalties took effect July 1, 2024.
A Local Pattern Of Deadly Street Racing
The law change followed a grim tally: street racing and illegal drag racing contributed to five traffic deaths in Davidson County in 2023 alone, a trend that prompted Metro Nashville Police to push state legislators for tougher criminal penalties, according to Patton | Pittman.
A police helicopter has been used to spot racers while ground units deploy Stop Sticks. The tactic reflects a broader effort by police to disrupt illegal car meets while limiting the risk of chases turning deadly. Hoodline has previously covered the chopper tactic in an Antioch pursuit earlier this year.
Police are seeking the driver.
