The passenger killed in today’s 2:05 a.m. single-vehicle crash on Old Hickory Boulevard near Westpark drive in the Midtown Hills Precinct is identified as Joshua Little, 35, of Sylacauga, Alabama.
Little was riding east on Old Hickory Boulevard in a 2004 Nissan Xterra SUV being driven by Jillian Bearden, 26, of Lebanon. Bearden alleged that Little had been using heroin and fentanyl and began hallucinating, saying that he saw a ghost in the backseat. She said Little was trying to fight off the ghost by stabbing it with a knife. Bearden told officers that she became distracted by Little’s actions and ran off the right side of the roadway. The vehicle struck two trees, killing Little, who was not wearing a seatbelt. Bearden, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured.
As is routine, the medical examiner will conduct toxicology testing on Little’s blood for drug and alcohol content. Bearden did not exhibit any signs of impairment.
This investigation is continuing.