The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of Nigerian graduate Oluwalayomi Fadero in Nashville, United States.
According to reports by WSMV-TV, the incident occurred last Friday after the suspect, Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly stole a truck and attempted to flee. The vehicle’s owner reportedly tracked the stolen truck, prompting Padgett to reverse and ram into another vehicle.
Authorities deployed a police helicopter to monitor the situation, but the suspect further escalated the incident by crashing into an unmarked police vehicle, initiating a high-speed chase. According to MNPD Public Information Officer, Don Aaron, the pursuit lasted approximately five minutes and reached speeds of up to 80 miles per hour along Murfreesboro Pike.
The chase ended around 2:30 p.m. when Padgett drove into oncoming traffic near the intersection of Murfreesboro Pike and Hickory Woods Drive, colliding with a white sedan driven by Fadero. The impact pushed her vehicle about 100 yards into a ditch, and the 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Padgett was subsequently arrested, taken to a hospital, and charged with criminal homicide. Authorities confirmed that he was on parole at the time of the incident.
The tragedy has deeply affected members of Fisk University, where Fadero graduated. Alumni and faculty mourned her passing, describing her as kind, compassionate, and committed to volunteer work. A former professor, Janet Walsh, highlighted Fadero’s dedication to small acts of kindness and global citizenship.
A makeshift memorial has been erected at the crash site along Murfreesboro Pike, while a GoFundMe campaign set up to support her family with burial expenses has raised over $15,000. The incident underscores the dangers of reckless driving and high-speed chases, leaving a grieving community to mourn the loss of a promising young graduate.
