A 73-year-old Springfield man is dead and a 7-year-old child is in critical condition after a head-on crash on Whites Creek Pike in Nashville on Thursday evening. Three other people, including the child, were rushed to the hospital after the collision, which happened in the 7900 block of the roadway shortly after 5:15 p.m.
Metro Nashville Police identified the man killed as Nicholas J. Mulder, according to WKRN. Police said Mulder was driving a 2019 Ford Fiesta northbound on Whites Creek Pike when, for reasons that remain unknown, he crossed the double yellow line into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a southbound 2015 Ford Escape. Mulder died at the scene, officials said.
The crash injured all three occupants of the Ford Escape. A 7-year-old child riding in the Escape was critically injured and taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to WSMV. The Escape's 25-year-old driver and 26-year-old front-seat passenger also were taken to Vanderbilt for treatment, though their injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
No Signs of Impairment, Police Say
Investigators said there were no indications that either driver was impaired at the time of the crash. Police also believed all occupants of both vehicles were wearing seat belts when the vehicles collided, the station's report noted.
Police described the preliminary cause of the collision as Mulder's failure to maintain his lane of travel, though the investigation remains ongoing per the same account. No further explanation has been given for why Mulder crossed into oncoming traffic.
A Grim Year on Nashville Roads
The fatal crash adds to a troubling trend across the city this year. By June 3, 2026, Nashville had recorded 45 fatal crashes resulting in 47 deaths, compared with 32 fatal crashes and 37 deaths at the same point in 2025, according to WKRN. All of 2025 saw 103 fatal crashes and 115 deaths citywide, Metro Nashville Police data show.
Pedestrian deaths had also climbed sharply by June 3, 2026, with 14 recorded by that date, compared with just three at the same point in 2025 and 11 during the same period in 2024. City officials have pointed to infrastructure upgrades, intersection redesigns and transportation improvements through the Choose How You Move program as part of the response, alongside the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
For now, the investigation into Thursday's crash on Whites Creek Pike continues, and no additional details about the cause have been released.
