A hit-and-run crash that sent one victim to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville via helicopter resulted in charges for a former Overton County resident on Saturday, November 9.

According to a press release from Livingston Police Department, Brandon Chad Geesling, 32, was arrested after he allegedly fled the scene of a crash that occurred at the intersection of Bilbrey Street and West Main Street in front of Walgreen’s.

The release said, “When the officers arrived, they were advised of a white mini-van that had hit another vehicle in the intersection and then fled from the scene. At this point, Officer Tommy Johnson observed a fluid trail that appeared to have come from the fleeing vehicle and began to follow it towards the eastern end of town around some side streets.”

As Sgt. Jonathan Swift and Officer Chris Gore began to work the crash scene, some information about a possible suspect was developed, the release said. A female passenger in the vehicle at the crash site was reportedly airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment of her injuries. LPD did not release the name of the female.

“One of the suspects reportedly had ran towards Rock Crusher Mountain,” the release continued.

“A foot search was then conducted by officers. As the investigation continued, evidence from the vehicle was evaluated in an attempt to determine the owner of the vehicle,” the release said.

Reportedly, there was no license plate on the vehicle. Further complicating the effort to ascertain the driver’s name was the fact that the vehicle had recently been sold by the owner on record.

“As the investigation proceeded, it was learned the original owner had recently sold the vehicle to a co-worker, but only knew his first name,” the release said.

Officers contacted the company and the original owner worked for and learned the suspect’s name, the release added. Allegedly, Geesling had been living in Fentress County–a fact that pulled Fentress County Sheriff’s Department into the investigation, according to the release.

With officers closing in on Geesling, who had reportedly fled on foot for a time before being picked up by another person in another vehicle, the release said he called police and “negotiated a surrender to LPD.”

“Once at the police department, Geesling reportedly admitted to striking the vehicle, had no insurance, no license, and improper registration. Brandon Chad Geesling was arrested on charges including vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident, evading arrest, DUI fourth offense, and driving on revoked,” the release added.

A second suspect was believed to have been with Geesling at the time of the crash and possibly fled on foot when the van Geesling had been driving was ditched. The release said that suspect, a male, was eventually “also picked up and transported out of the area.”