November 1, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
Charges have now been filed in Wilson County against two men who tried to outrun the law in a stolen car before crashing it late Tuesday night in Smithville
The driver of the car, 19 year old Laron Saunders of Nashville is charged with Felony Evading, Simple Possession, Felony Theft of Property, Reckless Endangerment, and Speeding. His bond is $12,000. His passenger, 19 year old Quentin Marshall, Jr. of Nashville is facing charges of Unlawful possession of a firearm and Misdemeanor Evading. He is under a $5,000 bond. Both will make a court appearance in Wilson County on January 8.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Trooper De’Wunya Topps was running radar Tuesday night on Interstate 40 at mile marker 223 in Wilson County at 11 p.m. when he clocked a red 2016 Scion TC going 98 miles per hour eastbound in a 70 mile per hour speed zone. Trooper Topps then attempted to make a traffic stop. The car pulled over at mile marker 226 but as Trooper Topps was calling in the traffic stop the car took off. Trooper Topps then initiated a pursuit. After the registration was checked it came back as a stolen car out of Metro Nashville.
The pursuit continued on I-40 and then onto Highway 70 before crossing into DeKalb County at 11:58 p.m. A DeKalb County deputy joined Trooper Topps in the pursuit at Liberty and Smithville Police Officers set up a road block at the intersection of Congress Boulevard and Broad Street to keep other traffic from crossing while the pursuit was approaching.
In Smithville the pursuit turned from Broad Street onto College Street at the bridge then east on Webb Street to South First Street before the car crashed on the property of Dr. Starla Meigs Office only a block off the public square.
Both Saunders and Marshall bailed out of the car after the wreck and tried to flee on foot.
Saunders unwittingly ran in the direction of the jail, which is located on the public square, and was caught by Sheriff Patrick Ray and Detective Stephen Barrett who were standing outside the Sheriff’s Office and saw him approaching. The arrest was made in front of the law office of Hilton Conger and Harry Lasser, only a few feet from the jail.
Marshall, who was armed with a loaded handgun, was arrested in the area by Smithville Police Officer Tyler Patterson.
Both men were turned over to Trooper Topps and transported to the Wilson County Jail.