Driver Charged in Fatal Ridgetop Crash That Killed Greenbrier Man
RIDGETOP/GOODLETTSVILLE, TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – Charles H. Holt, 59, has been charged with vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment in connection with the fatal head-on crash that occurred on December 9, 2023, on Springfield Highway, which claimed the life of 75-year-old Jurgis Juodenas of Greenbrier. Original report.
VIDEO FROM SCENE
The evening of the crash, Hwy 41 just east of Ridgetop remained closed as Metro Nashville Police investigated the crash. The first call to 911 came in at 3:50 PM, and the investigation concluded around 9 PM, allowing the highway to reopen.
The crash occurred just past Bakers Station Market/Old Springfield Pike, approximately 1.5 miles from the Robertson/Davidson County line. LOCATION OF CRASH According to the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Fatal Crash Team, officers determined that Juodenas was driving north on Springfield Highway in a Volkswagen Beetle when Holt, driving a southbound Kia Sorento, crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with Juodenas’s vehicle. Juodenas died at the scene, while Holt sustained minor injuries and was not transported. Both men were wearing their seatbelts.
According to Metro Nashville Police, Holt later allegedly informed officers that he had recently started taking new medication to lower his blood pressure and had only slept for two hours prior to the crash. According to a release from Metro Nashville Police, Holt stated that he believed he had passed out before the collision. The Event Data Recorder (EDR) from the Kia indicated that Holt was traveling under the speed limit, between 50-45 mph, just seconds before the crash. Witnesses reported that Holt had swerved into oncoming traffic, nearly colliding with other vehicles before hitting the Volkswagen.
Holt’s charges stem from his lack of sleep and the medication he was taking, which warned users to avoid driving until they understood its effects, police said.