Murfeesboro, Tenn. — November 8, 2024 — A woman has been charged with vehicular homicide following a wrong-way DUI crash that claimed the life of a 28-year-old man in Murfreesboro.
Lora Allison Tenpenny, 23, faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, felony reckless endangerment, and driving under the influence (DUI) after allegedly driving her Jeep Wrangler southbound in the northbound lane of S. Church Street on Thursday night.
According to police, the fatal collision occurred around 7:24 p.m. when Tenpenny’s vehicle collided head-on with a BMW driven by the Murfreesboro man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Tenpenny’s Jeep reportedly flipped onto its side in the impact, while she and her 22-year-old female passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital.
An off-duty Williamson County deputy, who had been following Tenpenny’s Jeep due to concerns about her driving, reportedly witnessed the crash and called 911. Another passerby, Captain Karl Daigle, an off-duty paramedic and Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department safety officer, stopped to help. Daigle and the deputy pulled the BMW driver from his vehicle and administered CPR until emergency responders from Murfreesboro Fire Rescue and Rutherford County EMS arrived to take over.
Tenpenny was released from Rutherford County Adult Detention Center after posting a $72,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in Rutherford County General Sessions Court on November 19.
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