A Nashville woman was killed in a car accident on Interstate 65 last week. Authorities say that the 52-year-old woman died just after midnight on Friday. The woman was a passenger in a Toyota Corolla that slid off of the exit from I-65 to I-24 near Rosa Parks Boulevard.
This is one of many fatal car accidents that occurred in the Nashville area this year. Car accidents often result in fatalities because of excess speed and the failure of some passengers to wear seat belts. Those who fail to wear seat belts are often ejected from their vehicles and die from traumatic injuries upon landing.
Authorities say that the 45-year-old man driving the Toyota Corolla involved in last week's crash survived the accident. Although his passenger died, the man was awake and able to phone authorities. The man called the police around 12:15 a.m. and said that he had been in a car accident. The driver was unsure of where he was and thought at one point that he was in the trunk of the vehicle.
Emergency crews used the location of the cell phone tower near the man's phone to begin their search. A search of the area took two hours before police noticed a damaged guardrail and found the Toyota upside down in a 30-foot ditch near the road.
The 52-year-old woman was found dead at the scene and the 45-year-old driver was extricated from the car.
Speed is believed to be a factor in this crash and it is unclear whether the driver was also under the influence of alcohol. He admitted to having a beer earlier in the evening and blood alcohol tests were ordered.
Source: News Channel 5, "Police Identify Woman Killed In Interstate Crash," Dec. 23, 2011