US-Based Nigerian Graduate Kill£d By Fleeing Driver
US-Based Nigerian Graduate Killed By Fleeing Driver
A 23-year-old Nigerian graduate based in the United States, Oluwalayomi Fadero, was killed after a fleeing driver crashed into her vehicle in Nashville, Tennessee.
The incident occurred when the suspect, Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly drove into oncoming traffic while attempting to evade police, striking Fadero’s car on the driver’s side. Authorities said the impact forced her vehicle about 100 yards into a ditch, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the crash followed a series of incidents earlier in the day, beginning with the theft of a Ford F-250 truck from a car lot in North Nashville. The suspect reportedly rammed the vehicle owner’s car and later struck an unmarked police SUV, triggering a pursuit that lasted about five minutes and reached speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour.
“At about 2:30 p.m., the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and struck the victim’s vehicle,” police said, describing Fadero as an uninvolved motorist with no connection to the chase.
Padgett, 52, was arrested and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody. Authorities said he was on parole at the time and had at least 20 prior convictions across five counties in Tennessee. He now faces multiple felony charges, including criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, attempted criminal homicide, and reckless endangerment.
Fadero, a graduate of Fisk University, had recently completed her degree and was pursuing an accelerated nursing programme.
“She was one of the most compassionate and kindest people you would ever meet,” her former professor, Janet Walsh, said. Another alumna, Jessica Williams, described her death as “heartbreaking,” noting that she was killed close to her residence.
A makeshift memorial has been set up at the crash site, while counselling support has been made available to members of the university community. A fundraiser organised by supporters has also raised over $13,000 to assist with funeral expenses.
