Oluwalayomi “Layo” Fadero, a 23-year-old Nigerian graduate living in the United States, was killed Friday, March 20, 2026, after a driver fleeing police veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into her vehicle.
The incident was reported Tuesday, March 24, 2026, by WSMV Nashville, bringing wider public attention to the fatal encounter.
Authorities identified the driver as Ray Eugene Padgett, 52, who was allegedly attempting to evade arrest when he entered the wrong lane and struck Fadero’s car along Murfreesboro Pike.
She was returning to her neighbourhood at the time and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said the crash capped a chain of events that began earlier that day with the reported theft of a Ford F-250 from a car lot in North Nashville.
During the ensuing pursuit, Padgett allegedly collided with the vehicle owner’s car and later rammed an unmarked police SUV before the chase escalated.
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The pursuit lasted about five minutes, with speeds reaching roughly 80 miles per hour, before ending in the fatal impact.
Padgett was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later transferred into police custody.
He faces multiple felony charges, including criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, attempted criminal homicide and reckless endangerment.
Fadero, a recent graduate of Fisk University enrolled in an accelerated nursing programme, was remembered by friends and professors as compassionate and kind, with many describing her death as heartbreaking.
A memorial has since been set up near the crash site, while counselling support has been offered to members of the university community.
Supporters have also launched a fundraiser to assist her family with funeral expenses.