Inset: Daniel Thomas (Shelby County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A section of Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps).Â
A woman driving in Tennessee pulled over to the side of a a major road when her car broke down just to be struck by a drunk driver, authorities say.
Daniel Thomas, 67, has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the crash, according to Shelby County court records reviewed by Law&Crime. The defendant also faces misdemeanor charges of DUI, reckless driving, public intoxication, and not having a driver’s license.
The victim’s name is unclear at this time.
On Thursday evening, a woman was driving on Union Avenue in Memphis, when her car broke down, area NBC affiliate WMC reported. She pulled over to the side of the road and put her hazard lights on.
Union Avenue in Memphis runs horizontally through a major part of the city.
Thomas was driving on the same road in a Honda Pilot when he hit the woman’s car with the front of his SUV, the Memphis Police Department said. He also allegedly hit the woman herself as she was standing outside her vehicle.
At about 9 p.m., police reportedly arrived at the scene and pronounced the woman dead. They also made contact with Thomas, who allegedly smelled like alcohol and admitted to having had multiple drinks.
The defendant additionally “performed poorly” on a field sobriety test and tested positive for 1.6 grams of THC after he had blood drawn at a nearby hospital, according to police.
He was arrested and booked into jail. Thomas is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday and have his bail reviewed the following day.
