The man responsible for a fatal Tennessee roadway car crash surrendered to police almost eight months after the accident. Now, the driver is going viral for sticking out his tongue in the mugshot. One of the victims of the crash called his mugshot “jarring.”

The November 2025 crash, which occurred on Clarksville Pike near Bobel Lane in the Whites Creek area of Nashville, resulted in the death of a 41-year-old father, Dustin McLeod, and severely injured his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Dakota. James Brewington Jr., 61, crashed his Nissan Titan pickup into McLeod’s Jeep Renegade. According to police, he was trying to go around a vehicle making a right turn when he swerved into oncoming traffic.

The family was on their way to help Ashley’s grandmother put up Christmas lights. McLeod was taken to Skyline Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

After the crash, Ashley and Dakota suffered severe trauma and spent months in the hospital. The family has been grieving the loss of Dustin ever since. A GoFundMe was reportedly started to support Ashley and Dakota’s recovery after the horrible crash.

According to the fundraiser, donations went toward Ashley’s ICU care; she reportedly suffered a broken kneecap, lacerations, and an open ankle fracture, with the funds intended to support her rehabilitation and multiple surgeries.

Dakota was treated in the pediatric ICU at a children’s hospital for multiple rib fractures, a sternum and collarbone fracture, and several lacerations. As of the latest update, the fundraiser had reportedly raised a little over $23,000 toward a $50,000 goal. These figures should be verified directly against the GoFundMe page

Ashley was reportedly discharged to her parents’ home in November 2025, while Dakota was still at the hospital. Dustin’s funeral was reportedly held on November 23, with Ashley asking attendees to wear a sports jersey in his memory.

When Ashley learned of Brewington’s arrest, she told a local news outlet she felt uneasy after seeing his mugshot for the first time: “I got the message when we were sitting there, and it was a relief, but I hadn’t seen his face until today. So that was a bit jarring.”

She recalled the horrific accident: “And all of a sudden a car came out in front of us, and it just all happened really fast. I just saw a flash of red, and then everything was kind of in slow motion.”

She recalled her husband being struck by the airbag as he moved forward with the impact of the vehicle and her daughter’s body being thrown against her seatbelt. Ashley added, “And everything was kind of like a blur, but very clear if that makes sense, right after.”

The car caught fire while her husband was unresponsive. Brewington was hospitalized after the crash but was not arrested immediately; it remains unclear why. He turned himself in to the Metro Nashville Police Department on Thursday, July 23, and remains jailed on a $135,000 bond. He was charged with vehicular homicide by reckless conduct, reckless endangerment, and three counts of aggravated assault.

Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.