Man Whose Call to Sister Was Cut Off After Car Crash Is Found Dead Days Later

Tarrance Williams Sr., 49, was first reported missing on April 19, days after he was on the phone with his sister after a car crash

Just days after he was speaking on the phone with his sister when the line went silent, a Tennessee man has been found dead in what authorities believe was a hit-and-run.

Tarrance Williams Sr. was found by Metro Nashville Police Department missing persons detectives on April 23 on I-24, MNPD wrote in a press release.

According to detectives, on April 15, Williams, 49, was involved in a "single-vehicle crash" on Briley Parkway just after 9 p.m. Immediately after the crash, investigators say he walked away from the scene and called his sister.

Williams' sister later told police that after they began talking, she heard him swear and the phone line immediately went dead. She reported him missing on April 19 after not being able to get in touch with him again.

Police received a phone call around 2 p.m. to report a body on the highway near Briley Parkway and Old Hickory Boulevard, reports WKRN. Per the press release, detectives used cell data from Williams' phone to locate and identify him, and his body was found 20 feet down from the highway in a nearby embankment.

Crash investigators responded to the scene and have yet to figure out where he was standing when he was "struck," police said. The Medical Examiner’s office report is pending, they added, and they have yet to determine a cause of death.

According to WSMV, the crash is sparking concern for Nashville residents after organizations like AAA have reported an increased number of crashes along Middle Tennessee highways. The outlet reported that, per information from MNPD, there were 26 deadly hit-and-runs in 2023, and only three of those cases have been closed thus far.

Related: Missing California Teen Found Safe After Officials Issue State’s First Ebony Alert: 'A Real Difference'

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According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, highway safety poses a major threat to drivers. Over 42,939 people died in 2021 from traffic crashes, and that number increased from the previous year.

While speaking with WSMV, AAA spokesperson Megan Cooper advised Tennessee drivers — and anyone else who might get in a crash along a busy stretch of highway — to try to stay visible at all times.

"Use those emergency flashers," she told the outlet. "If you do have anything reflective in your emergency kit, go ahead and set those out. Your goal is to be able to be seen by drivers on the roadway. You want to be absolutely clear that you are there so they can try to avoid you."

Anyone with information about Williams' death is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

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