Nashville driver charged after doing donuts and crashing into police cruiser on I-24

A 22-year-old man is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer in connection with a crash involving a cruiser on Interstate 24 Tuesday morning.

Metro Nashville police said the driver fled an initiated stop on Shelby Boulevard when Officer Joe Medina was seen driving recklessly on Korean Veterans Boulevard around 1:30 a.m.

In the one-minute, two-second video released by MNPD, the 22-year-old is seen turning from left to right after entering westbound along I-24 and then turning back toward the officer’s face before swerving around the cruiser and performing. donuts on the road before crashing head-on into the cruiser.

Police said in a statement that the man ran away after crashing into the cruiser and returned to the entrance ramp.

Medina was injured in the crash and was transported to a local hospital, treated and released Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Detectives were able to track down the 22-year-old as the driver involved in the incident. He surrendered on Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the 22-year-old is charged with evading arrest in a motor vehicle and misdemeanor counts of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury and reckless driving.

The man is expected to appear in court on November 15 for a settlement hearing. He was jailed on $27,500 bail.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at [email protected] and X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription at www.tennessean.com.

This article first appeared in the Nashville Tennessean: Nashville driver charged after crashing into police cruiser on I-24