NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A family is mourning the loss of 65-year-old Charles A. Fountain, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident while riding his electric scooter on Monday evening in South Nashville. Fountain, a truck driver from Jacksonville, Florida, was struck just before 7 p.m. on Old Hickory Boulevard near Firestone Parkway.
Fountain’s daughter, Karen Hawkins, spoke to News 2 about the devastation her family is facing. Hawkins shared that her father, who went by Alan, was looking forward to celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary with his wife in June. “Him and my mom would have had their 40th wedding anniversary in June, and he was very proud of that,” Hawkins said.
The family, which includes Fountain’s wife, two daughters, and eight grandchildren, is struggling to come to terms with the loss. Hawkins described the deep pain of not having the opportunity to say goodbye to her father, noting the difficulty of his unexpected death. “It’s been very, very difficult, and I think it’s even more difficult because he wasn’t sick. We weren’t able to stand around his bed and tell him goodbye and how much we love him. Instead, he was taken, and I think that’s the hardest part of being unexpected,” she said.
Fountain had recently purchased the scooter to make it easier to run errands and grab food during work breaks as part of his job as a truck driver. On the evening of the accident, authorities say Fountain was riding the scooter down the shoulder of Old Hickory Boulevard after leaving a Dollar General parking lot, heading back to the TA Truck Stop where he had parked his truck. As he attempted to cross the road, he was struck by a Toyota Tacoma. The vehicle dragged Fountain’s scooter for more than 900 feet before fleeing the scene, heading toward Murfreesboro Pike.
The hit-and-run left Fountain’s family in shock, but their pursuit of justice did not stop there. On March 5, Metro Nashville Police announced that they had located the Toyota Tacoma, abandoned at an apartment complex along Edmondson Pike, after receiving a tip through Crime Stoppers. Later that day, 25-year-old Karla Guadalupe Armendariz was charged in connection with the incident.
Armendariz, the registered owner of the Toyota, reportedly confessed to consuming six beers and taking a prescription drug before the crash. She claimed to have blacked out and could not remember the details of the incident. She has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and driving without a license. Armendariz is being held on a $100,000 bond, and due to a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she is not eligible for release.
As the investigation continues, Hawkins expressed her hope that justice would be served in her father’s case. “We just have faith and hope that justice will be served and prevail. That’s all we can have at this point is hope that justice will be served,” she said.
Hawkins also shared a heartfelt message for others in the wake of her father’s death: “I want everyone to just call their dad and tell their dad they love him and make plans with him, because I wish that I could do that and I can’t, so if their dad’s around, I hope that’s something that they will do.”
Fountain’s tragic death is a stark reminder of the importance of road safety, especially for vulnerable road users like those on scooters. The Fountain family is left grieving, but they continue to hold on to hope for justice and urge others to cherish the time they have with their loved ones.
