MNPD Officer Samuel Sundra continues to be treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for injuries received when his 2022 marked police Ford Explorer was rear ended on I-440 near Murphy Road at 10 a.m. today.
Sundra was parked on the right shoulder of the interstate with emergency equipment activated to calm traffic as an NES crew performed electrical work when a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck crashed into the police SUV. The crash pushed the Explorer off the shoulder and into the grass median. Sundra lost consciousness for a brief time and was rushed to Vanderbilt. He is now alert and resting in the hospital.
The driver of the pickup truck, James Smith, 40, of Nashville, was also injured and is being treated at Vanderbilt. Crash investigators found no signs of braking from the pickup truck. Smith showed indicators of impairment. A search warrant was issued for a blood sample from him for laboratory analysis.
Arrest warrants have been issued charging Smith with aggravated vehicular assault and felony reckless endangerment. He will be taken into custody upon his discharge from the hospital.
Sundra, 28, is a five-year MNPD veteran who is presently assigned to the Midtown Hills Precinct.
