By EMILY R. WEST
According to a Franklin Police Department incident report, officers detected alcohol at the scene of a violent accident that left a Brentwood teen with critical injuries.
Meghan Pittenger, 18, lost control on Tuesday morning while driving up the Interstate 65 South exit ramp to McEwen Drive. Her 2009 Lexus RX 350 then crossed two westbound lanes and five eastbound lanes of traffic on McEwen and jumped two medians before careening down the southbound on-ramp embankment adjacent to the Drury Plaza Hotel.
Here’s a rough sketch of her path below:
According to police, the speed that the vehicle hit the ground at the bottom of the embankment was great enough that the two front seats, center console, and engine dislodged from the rest of the SUV. They landed 80 feet away in the hotel parking lot.
The report said an officer determined the presence of alcohol through a swab of saliva, though comprehensive test results for alcohol or drugs were not complete. The report also showed she had been wearing her seatbelt.
“During their preliminary investigation, officers observed indicators that the driver may have been consuming alcohol prior to the crash,” FPD Public Information Officer Lt. Charles Warner said. “As a matter of protocol in these types of cases, the investigating officer has initiated the legal process for having the driver’s blood analyzed for intoxicants. The results we receive will help to determine what, if any, charges are appropriate.”
Certified crash reconstructionists from the Franklin Police Department’s Critical Incident Response Team are still investigating.
Anyone who may have seen the maroon Lexus SUV on I-65 South, prior to Tuesday morning’s crash is asked to call Franklin Police: (615) 794-2513.
Emily West covers Franklin, schools and high school football for Home Page Media Group. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @emwest22.
