October 23, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
Three people were airlifted from a serious head-on crash Sunday night on Highway 146 (Short Mountain Highway) near Cecil Hale Road.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a 2013 blue Ford Fusion, driven by 35-year-old Julio Cesar Bernardo Carbaja was traveling southbound on Highway 146 (Short Mountain Road) near Cecil Hale Road when it crossed the center line into the northbound lane into the path of a 2008 silver Nissan Altima, driven by 51-year-old Virginia Werta causing both vehicles to hit head-on. The driver of the Ford Fusion, Carbaja was believed to have been impaired. The three occupants of the Nissan, Werta, 48-year-old Jesus Jantes, and a 14-year-old were airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. All three in the Nissan were wearing their seatbelts. Carbaja was also injured. He was not wearing his seatbelt. Carbaja has been charged with three counts of vehicular assault, DUI, and driving on a suspended license.