NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man has been taken into custody in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash in Madison from 2023 after DNA testing produced a lead that linked him to the case.

Kimberly Benezue, a 26-year-old mother from Clarksville, was killed after a stolen Dodge Charger slammed into her Mazda 3 at the intersection of Dickerson Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 2023. The Metro Nashville Police Department said the Charger was stolen less than three hours before the crash and was traveling 69 mph in a 35 mph zone seconds before it struck the Mazda.

According to court documents, a nearby officer had tried to stop the Charger after it was seen "conducting donuts in the roadway" prior to the crash, but the stolen car fled the traffic stop along with other vehicles performing "street racing" activity.

"The last words were, 'I love you Mom,' and we got the last hug," Angela Hudson, Benezue's mother, said in February.

News 2 spoke with Hudson multiple times in recent years, including after the two-year anniversary of her daughter's death as part of our Nashville Unsolved series.

Benezue was driving home with a friend after a night out when the crash occurred, killing Benezue and sending her friend to the hospital. Based on the court documents, one person from the Charger got into a waiting white sports car without checking on the occupants of the Mazda.

"The first question that comes out of my mouth is, I'm like, 'Where's Kim?'" Kiya Garmon, Benezue's friend, said.

Garmon was in the car with Benezue that night. She is still healing from her many injuries.  

"I deal with survivor's guilt a ton," Garmon said.  

However, she said there's now a glimmer of hope in the case. 

"My knees hit the ground. All I could scream was, 'Thank you, Jesus!'" Hudson said.

According to Hudson, that was her reaction when she got a call from an MNPD detective saying someone had been charged in the case after DNA evidence on a water bottle from inside the car helped lead to the suspect.

"I swore I would not let this case go cold. You just get to the point where you have nothing else to do but turn it all over to God, and when I did that, here we are," Hudson said. 

Hudson has been fighting for her daughter for the past two years and now she hopes she can rely on the justice system to finish the fight her.  

"I feel like this is going to be a chapter that's going to be closed. Now I'm really depending on the justice system more than anything to do what is right," Hudson said.  

Officials said 25-year-old Torion Bean Jr. was arrested on Tuesday, May 6 and charged with criminal homicide, reckless aggravated assault, vehicle theft, evading arrest, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, and drag racing with serious bodily injury.

According to authorities, Bean -- who was convicted of vehicle theft and multiple counts of robbery in 2019 -- was on probation when he was taken into custody in Marshall County this week. He's being held on a $150,000 bond, but Hudson said she's upset that he has a bond at all.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/my-knees-hit-the-ground-man-charged-with-homicide-2-years-after-madison-hit-and-run-crash/