– James Brewington Jr., 61, surrendered on July 23
– He allegedly caused a November 2025 crash that killed Dustin McLeod, 41
– McLeod’s wife Ashley and daughter Dakota were also injured
– Brewington was charged with vehicular homicide by reckless conduct, reckless endangerment, and three counts of aggravated assault
– He remains jailed on a $135,000 bond
– TMZ reported the mugshot was “repulsive” and “creepy”
– Ashley told News Channel 5 about seeing his face in the mugshot being “jarring” and expressed relief that justice would be done
– Ashley described the crash in detail: “All of a sudden, a car came out in front of us. It all happened really fast. I just saw the flash of red and everything was kind of in slow motion”
The outlets cover the mugshot but the specific detail about sticking out his tongue appears in the headline provided, though the details in the actual coverage describe it as “repulsive” and “creepy” without explicitly stating tongue-sticking. Let me write the article based on what the coverage actually reports.
James Brewington Jr., 61, turned himself in to the Metro Nashville Police Department on Thursday, July 23
, nearly eight months after the crash that killed a father of one.
Brewington was wanted for his alleged role in the fatal car crash that killed Dustin McLeod, 41, in November 2025.
On Nov. 9, Brewington was driving southbound and tried to go around a vehicle making a right turn, but swerved into oncoming traffic, police said.
His pickup truck then hit McLeod’s Jeep Renegade head-on. McLeod, his wife, Ashley, and their daughter were inside.
McLeod was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Ashley and the couple’s daughter survived with serious injuries.
Brewington was booked on Thursday, July 23. He was charged, including vehicular homicide by reckless conduct, reckless endangerment and three counts of aggravated assault.
The mugshot drew attention immediately.
McLeod’s widow Ashley saw his face for the first time when she learned of his arrest.
“I hadn’t seen his face until today, so that was a bit jarring,” Ashley said. “It’s definitely a relief to know that justice will be done in whatever way that happens.”
Ashley had recounted the moments before impact in her first interview after the crash.
“All of a sudden, a car came out in front of us. It all happened really fast. I just saw the flash of red and everything was kind of in slow motion,” Ashley told News Channel 5 on Thursday, July 23.
The collision’s violence unfolded in seconds.
“I watched my daughter’s body go around her seatbelt. I watched my husband fly forward. I got hit with the airbag, which knocked the wind of me for several minutes. Everything was kind of a blur but very clear,” she continued.
“The car caught on fire. My husband wasn’t responding to me, my daughter was screaming in the back seat.”
Ashley described the family’s outing that day.
Dustin’s wife, Ashley, and their 8-year-old daughter, Dakota, were also in the vehicle because they were reportedly driving to Clarksville to help Ashley’s grandmother hang up Christmas lights.
Tragedy struck in an instant on that November afternoon.
In the viral moment that sparked this investigation, Brewington was driving his Nissan Titan southbound near Bobel Lane on Clarksville Pike when he attempted to pass a vehicle making a right turn. According to police, he swerved directly into oncoming traffic. His pickup struck McLeod’s Jeep head-on with such force that the Jeep ignited. McLeod, a passenger in the vehicle alongside his wife Ashley and their young daughter, was pronounced dead at Skyline Medical Center. His wife and child were hospitalized with serious injuries, and Brewington himself was seriously hurt in the collision and hospitalized for months afterward.
Brewington remains in jail in lieu of $135,000 bond.