NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A deadly crash early Friday morning in the Gulch neighborhood has left two people dead and several others injured. The collision occurred around 2:45 a.m. at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and Demonbreun Street when an SUV, believed to have been involved in street racing, crashed into a taxi van and slammed into the bottom of a five-story building.
According to Metro Nashville Police, the SUV crashed into the storefront of Del Frisco’s Grille, a popular restaurant in the area. The two victims, both passengers in the back seat of the taxi, were pronounced dead at the scene. The taxi driver and another passenger were critically injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Investigators say the SUV, which was reported stolen, had been racing another vehicle before the crash occurred. Following the collision, three of the men from the SUV fled the scene, getting into the other car involved in the race. That vehicle subsequently drove away, leaving the crashed SUV behind. Police are actively investigating and plan to take the driver of the stolen SUV into custody once he is released from the hospital.
The taxi driver’s brother spoke with News 2, confirming that his sibling is expected to survive. He explained that the taxi driver was preparing to make a left turn onto 12th Avenue South to drop off passengers at the W Hotel when the SUV struck the vehicle.
The intersection of 12th Avenue South and Demonbreun Street remained closed to traffic for several hours as investigators processed the scene. No further details regarding the identities of the victims or the other individuals involved in the crash have been released at this time.
Authorities are continuing to search for the remaining individuals involved in the street racing incident. Metro police are urging anyone with information about the crash to come forward.
