JEFFERSON CITY, Tennessee — Around 3:30 PM Monday, officers responded to a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian in the area of West Main St. and Russell Ave. Once on scene officers discovered a single vehicle lodged within a building and two pedestrians that had apparently been struck.
First responders then learned of another crash scene on East Main Street where an additional pedestrian had been struck. The pedestrians from the West Main St. scene were found to be deceased while the pedestrian from the East Main St. scene was injured and transported to a local hospital.
Officers also discovered that an employee located within the building had been injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody immediately following the two pedestrian related crashes. He has been identified as William David Phillips, 33, of Jefferson City. Phillips was transported to the Jefferson County Justice Center where he has been charged with first degree murder for the death of the unborn child. His current charges are 3 counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder.
Police say this was an ‘intentional act of violence toward randomly chosen pedestrians.’ Investigators have determined that Phillips did not know the victims. Phillips was traveling west on East Main St. where he swerved and intentionally struck a pedestrian. He then traveled less than a mile where again swerved and intentionally struck the next two victims at the Russell Ave. and West Main St. intersection.
Phillips reportedly told officers “a voice told him that he needed to go kill the meth addicts so he began driving very fast. He said the voice told him the baby stroller had meth in it, so he intentionally drove into it.”
Sierra Wilson Cahoon, 30, of Jefferson City, her son Nolan Cahoon, 2, and her unborn child were deceased at the scene on West Main Street. An unidentified employee located within the building sustained minor injuries.
Tillman Gunter, 61, of Jefferson City was struck at the East Main Street location. He was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
