NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A man has been charged with criminal homicide in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in East Nashville in February 2023, according to an affidavit filed in Davidson County.
Torion Bean Jr. is accused of causing the death of 23-year-old Kimberly Benezue during a high-speed collision at the intersection of Dickerson Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard on February 4, 2023.
Metro Nashville Police say Bean was driving a Dodge Charger that was seen on surveillance video leaving a gas station before running a red light at high speed. The Charger struck a Mazda 3 driven by Benezue, who had the right of way with a green light. Benezue died at the scene, while her passenger, Kiya Garmon, sustained life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized.
Authorities believe the Charger had been involved in street racing just moments before the crash. Surveillance footage captured a man in dark clothing—believed to be Bean—exiting the Charger at a Mapco gas station and later fleeing on foot after the crash.
The Dodge Charger’s registered owner, Shelbi Smarr, told police she had reported the car stolen hours earlier. Police later obtained a warrant to retrieve data from the car’s event data recorder, which revealed it was traveling 69 mph in a 35 mph zone just seconds before the collision.
Inside the vehicle, detectives collected two water bottles and a swab from the center console, all of which tested positive for DNA. A DNA profile from the driver’s side water bottle matched Torion Bean Jr. through the CODIS national DNA database, leading to his identification and arrest.
The case remains under active investigation by the Metro Nashville Police Department.
