A Tennessee man has been charged in the deaths of his wife, their unborn child and another woman after all three were killed in a crash while he was driving under the influence, according to police.
The accident occurred Friday just after 6 p.m. in Knox County, WVLT-TV reported.
The Knoxville CBS affiliate reported police said Jonathon Jones, 20, was driving a Nissan Sentra the wrong way on Raccoon Valley Road near its intersection with Hausmond Way on the outskirts of the city when tragedy struck.
Man charged after two women, unborn baby die in Knox County crash https://t.co/rNvWP4kHKi
— wvlt (@wvlt) June 24, 2024
Witnesses told investigators that just before the crash, Jones had been driving erratically and had been passing other motorists in a no-passing zone, police said.
At one point, the vehicle crossed a double yellow center line and struck a Ford Expedition head-on, according to the Knox County Rural Metro Fire Department.
“Several were trapped and had to be cut from the wreckage,” firefighters said in court documents cited by WVLT.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol immediately took control of the investigation.
Jones’ wife, Casandra — who was eight months pregnant — was declared dead shortly after the violent collision, as was their unborn baby boy.
Her obituary said the boy was to be named Jonathon Chad.
Virginia Brooks, a passenger in the Ford, also died the following morning at an area hospital.
The fire department posted images of the violent wreck on its Facebook page.
Jones spoke to state troopers after the accident while at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and one said his eyes were bloodshot, according to WVLT.
The trooper said he also admitted he used marijuana daily.
Jones is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication. Prosecutors also have charged him with two counts of aggravated assault and a charge of improper passing.
