NASHVILLE, TN — A 10-year-old girl died after a single-vehicle crash Tuesday evening in Donelson, according to Nashville police. Her mother, who was driving, survived the wreck.
Officers said the crash happened around 6:50 p.m. in the 3500 block of Bell Road, where a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee left the roadway and struck a tree on the passenger side. The child was riding in the vehicle with her 40-year-old mother at the time.
Police said both occupants were wearing seat belts. Investigators also said they found no signs that the driver was impaired.
Police say Jeep missed a right-hand curve before crossing into danger
Investigators said the Jeep was traveling south on Bell Road when, for reasons not yet known, the driver failed to follow a right-hand curve. Police said that led the vehicle to cross into oncoming traffic before it left the road.
The impact with the tree was on the passenger side of the Jeep. Police have not said how fast the vehicle was traveling or whether any other factor contributed to the crash.
That sequence is central to the investigation, which remains focused on why the driver did not make the curve. So far, authorities have not identified any mechanical issue or outside trigger.
Child dies from injuries as mother survives the wreck
Police said the 10-year-old girl died as a result of the crash. No additional details about her condition were released beyond the confirmation of her death.
The driver, identified only as a 40-year-old woman, survived. Nashville police did not announce any arrest or citation connected to the collision.
The fact that both people were belted was noted by investigators, underscoring that the crash caused fatal injuries despite the use of restraints.
Bell Road crash scene in Donelson drew an evening response
The wreck occurred in a busy stretch of Bell Road in Donelson, a part of Nashville where evening traffic can be heavy. Police have not said whether road conditions, lighting or traffic played any role in the collision.
Because the car left the road and struck a tree, the impact likely took place very close to the travel lane. Officials have not released information about damage to the Jeep beyond the fact that it hit the tree on the passenger side.
The location places the crash within Davidson County and under the jurisdiction of Nashville authorities.
What investigators have ruled out so far
Nashville police said they found no signs of impairment from the driver, narrowing one possible factor in the wreck. That does not by itself explain why the Jeep drifted off the road, but it removes one concern from the immediate response.
Investigators have also said the crash happened on a right-hand curve that the vehicle did not follow. Beyond that, police have not announced whether distraction, fatigue or another cause may have been involved.
At this stage, the case appears to be a traffic fatality investigation rather than a criminal case, with officials continuing to piece together the sequence of events.
Police corrected the crash location after an initial error
WZTV later noted that the crash was initially reported as happening in Antioch, but the correct location is Donelson. That correction matters because the two communities are separate parts of the Nashville area.
Bell Road runs through multiple sections of the city, and the corrected address places the wreck in the Donelson area, not Antioch. The update helps clarify where emergency crews and investigators were working Tuesday evening.
For readers tracking the case, the revised location is the most accurate reference point for the fatal crash and the ongoing police investigation.
