Nashville Police: Ashland City man charged after drump truck collides with car, one killed

An Ashland City man is facing vehicular homicide and assault charges after the dump truck he was driving crashed into a car killing the driver and injuring a passenger.

Nicholas Sterling, 23, was booked into the Downtown Detention Center Monday morning after he was released from the hospital.

Nashville police were called to the intersection of Charlotte Pike at Old Hickory Boulevard at about 11 p.m. Sunday, according to a statement from the department.

Investigators believe Sterling was under the influence of alcohol when he drove a Freightliner dump truck southbound through a flashing red light, police said. A Ford Focus, driven by Kendall Cartwright, was traveling east on Charlotte Pike when the two vehicles collided.

Cartwright, 38, died at the scene, police said. Her passenger, who has yet to be identified, was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with critical injuries.

Sterling was also taken to Vanderbilt for treatment.

"There was an odor of alcohol on his breath and an open beer bottle was seen by responding officers in the floorboard of the dump truck," police said.

Sterling is being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dump truck collides with car killing Nashville woman, man charged