Austin David Obituary, Death; – Metro Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man discovered along the side of I-40 near the airport on Tuesday morning.
The family and friends of Austin David are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward, as authorities indicated that David may have been lying in the roadway and struck by multiple vehicles for as long as ten hours. The 22-year-old resident of Mt. Juliet was found deceased between the Donelson Pike and Stewarts Ferry Pike exits on I-40 East. His body was located around 11:15 a.m., although police believe he may have been there as early as 2 a.m.
According to police reports, David was walking along the right shoulder when he was initially struck by a vehicle in the right lane, followed by another collision in the middle lane. At the time of the officers’ arrival, there were no witnesses or vehicles present that had been involved in the incidents.
Rachel Kimbrough Reed, David’s mother, recounted to WSMV that she awoke on Tuesday morning at her home in Texas with a sense of unease. After failing to reach David, she contacted his roommate, having been informed that they had gone out together the previous night.
The roommate initially expressed uncertainty about whether they had left the bar together, but later revealed that he had woken up on Tuesday with damage to his truck that suggested he had struck something. He also mentioned having a confrontation with David during their drive home, which led him to drop David off on the side of I-40 near the location where his body was found, according to Reed.
“Something doesn’t add up here,” Kimbrough stated. “This story makes no sense at all.” Metro Police have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and have not released any further information beyond the initial press release identifying David. Kimbrough noted that David had grown up in the Nashville area before relocating to various cities with family. He returned to Mt. Juliet approximately a year ago to reconnect with friends and seek new employment.
David reportedly made several unanswered calls to friends around 3 a.m. but was not seen or heard from until the discovery of his body, Kimbrough added. Selena Curtis mentioned that those who knew David are deeply affected by the situation.
