MURFRESSBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Kennetha Thompson is struggling to process the devastating loss of her 5-year-old granddaughter and son-in-law, who were killed last week when Murfreesboro detectives say another driver — going more than 80 miles per hour in a 40 mph speed zone — slammed into them.
“You took away my grandbaby, who we love so dearly. She could’ve been the next Simone Biles. She could’ve been a doctor. She could’ve been a scientist. She could’ve been something great. But she doesn’t have that anymore,” Thompson said.
For Thompson, the bond with her granddaughter, Olivia-Rose, was everything.
“I called her Libby,” she recalled. “My grandbaby was my everything. She was my only grandbaby.”
Thompson cherished the time she spent with Olivia-Rose, often fixing the little girl’s hair.
“She loved her hair, and that Monday before she went to school, my daughter Alexus said, ‘Mom, Libby — Rose — loves her hair,’” Thompson said.
Thompson runs a business helping people with hair loss.
“Today is the first day coming back,” she said.
But the kind of loss she’s now facing is hard to come back from. Last week, Olivia-Rose, her mother Alexus, and stepfather Sylvio Victor were making a left turn on Middle Tennessee Boulevard in Murfreesboro on their way to gymnastics when they were struck by another driver.
“It was very detrimental when I found out my son-in-law Sylvio had died. That really affected me. Then I found out the baby was airlifted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital,” Thompson said.
Olivia-Rose fought for several days before succumbing to her injuries. Alexus survived the crash.
“She was a lovable child and happy. I’m glad she had the best life a child could ever have,” Thompson said.
During the interview, Thompson learned just how fast detectives say the driver was going.
“Oh my God, I knew he was speeding, but I didn’t know what the speed was. Just the fact of going that fast, I don’t know what was going on in his head, in his mind, but just to be reckless and irresponsible,” she said. “You’ve taken two people’s lives and you’ve broken up a family that just started, just started.”
Thompson isn’t sure how she will get through this unspeakable loss, but she’s thankful for every thought and prayer.
“They were kind people. Happy people. They brought joy to everyone they met,” she said.
The family has launched a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
Ewarth Chesney, 50, has been arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and aggravated assault.
Detectives say video footage of the crash showed Chesney driving his Nissan Rogue at a high rate of speed prior to the crash. Multiple witnesses told them Cheney was weaving through lanes and driving at a high rate of speed prior to the crash.
The crash data retrieval system showed that Chesney's vehicle reached a top speed of 84 mph moments before the crash in a posted 40 mph speed limit zone.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
With new technology comes new ways to help people. This story shows a great use of AI that is starting to be rolled out in Tennessee. This one can help those who may be blind, deaf or neurodiverse navigate the Tennessee State Library and Archives from an app on their smart phone.
-Lelan Statom
