NASHVILLE, TN — An 18-year-old is being held on a $126,000 bond after Metro Nashville Police say a high-speed pursuit through the Nolensville Pike area ended in a crash that injured four people Saturday night.
According to police, Eric Escalante drove at more than 100 mph, moved into oncoming lanes and ran red lights as officers tracked him with help from MNPD Aviation. The chase ended when ground units caught up with him near the intersection of Nolensville Pike and Edmondson Pike.
Police say Escalante hit a Toyota sedan that had the green light. Four people inside that vehicle were hurt in the collision.
Police say Aviation helped track the car through neighborhood streets
Metro police said the pursuit began as officers watched Escalante speed through neighborhood streets in south Nashville. The department said the helicopter unit, MNPD Aviation, helped keep visual contact while officers on the ground moved in.
Investigators say the driver’s behavior made the situation especially dangerous. Police said he crossed into lanes meant for opposing traffic and ignored traffic signals during the chase.
The reported speeds, lane changes and red-light violations all happened before the collision at Nolensville Pike and Edmondson Pike. That intersection became the point where the chase ended and the crash happened.
Four people in the Toyota were injured in the collision
Police said the vehicle Escalante struck was a Toyota sedan traveling lawfully through the intersection with the green light. The crash left four people injured inside that car.
Authorities did not immediately release the extent of those injuries, but the number of people hurt was confirmed by Metro police. The account provided by investigators says the Toyota was not the vehicle causing the danger at the intersection.
The injuries add another layer to what was already a fast-moving nighttime incident. Police have not said whether any of the injured people were taken to the hospital or how serious their conditions were.
Police say the driver fled on foot with a rifle before surrendering
After the wreck, officers say Escalante got out of his vehicle carrying a rifle and ran into nearby woods. Police said he then ran down the street before giving himself up.
The brief foot chase followed the crash and added to the danger officers faced during the arrest. Metro police say Escalante was eventually taken into custody after surrendering.
Authorities did not say why he had the rifle or whether it was fired during the incident. The weapon was mentioned by police as part of the sequence of events after the collision.
Escalante faces multiple charges tied to the chase and crash
Escalante has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, drag racing, felony and misdemeanor evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and other offenses, according to police.
The charges reflect both the alleged driving before the crash and the actions that followed it. Metro police tied the aggravated assault counts to the four people injured in the Toyota.
He remains jailed while the case moves forward. Police identified him by name and said his bond has been set at $126,000.
South Nashville intersection at center of a late-night police response
The intersection of Nolensville Pike and Edmondson Pike was the focal point of the response once officers closed in on the chase. It is one of the more heavily traveled corridors in south Nashville, which makes red-light violations and crossing into opposing lanes especially dangerous there.
Metro police have not said what led officers to start following Escalante or where the pursuit began. What they have made clear is that the incident moved quickly from street speeds to a crash, then to a foot pursuit and arrest.
With the case now in court, investigators are left with the crash scene, the injuries and the charges as they continue their review of what happened Saturday night.
