On Sunday, Feb. 24, around 1:30 a.m., Murfreesboro Police Department dispatch received a 911 call about a domestic situation, in a moving vehicle.

The caller, who was a passenger in the vehicle, informed dispatch that she had been assaulted. The driver, Joshua Williams (pictured here), 39, of Freeport, Ill., refused to stop the vehicle. 

An officer made visual contact with the vehicle near South Rutherford Boulevard, and initially, was unable to catch up with the vehicle, until it drove off the roadway and behind a house near a dead end on Woodbury Pike.

The officer exited his unit and began toward the rear yard of the home on foot. At which time, the vehicle went back onto the roadway and began heading inbound on Woodbury Pike.

The officer reentered his patrol car and attempted to catch up to the vehicle, eventually coming upon a wreck scene.

According to a preliminary crash report from the Tennessee High Patrol, the 2016 Nissan Sentra driven by Williams was headed westbound on Woodbury Pike. When Williams came to a left-hand curve in roadway, the vehicle went straight through curve, head on into an electric pole. Then Sentra rotated, striking second electric pole on front passenger door. It continued to rotate, finally coming to rest against a tree.

The impact killed passenger Rachel Bonds, 40, and injured John Hughes Jr., 46, both of Murfreesboro.

Williams fled on foot but was later apprehended by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Cpl. Scott Martin was called with his K-9 to search for the driver just after the crash. He attempted two K-9 tracks but was unable to locate Williams. 

Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryant Gregory reported a resident notified him about 10 a.m. Sunday about Williams’ location at a house on Old Woodbury Highway. Gregory and Cpl. George Barrett approached Williams and took into custody.

Williams was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where Tennessee Highway Patrol charged him with vehicular homicide, felony reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident knowing death resulted.

He is being held without bond. A hearing is set April 26 in General Sessions Court.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.