by Kim Gebbia
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Metro Police now have the driver in custody who they believe caused a deadly head-on collision Monday night.
Police believe 20-year-old Brooks Mercer fled the scene and never looked back on Monday night. The crash he left behind killed a 39-year-old Clarksville woman.
Leesa Almond died at the scene. Her father said she was on her way back from a new job she got in Nashville.
"She told me that was her dream job, she loved it, even though it was a 100 mile round trip to work everyday," said Bob Almond.
Almond said he always worried about that commute: 50 miles back and forth from Clarksville every day on busy Interstate 24.
"I prayed every night and every night my prayers ended with her safety going in and coming back," he said.
When Leesa, who lived at home with her 80-year-father, didn't make her usual call home Monday night, he worried that this time his prayer wasn't answered.
"I didn't expect it but I knew all evening that something was amiss," he said.
Almond turned on NewsChannel 5 and saw the images of a deadly head-on accident after a car driving on 24 eastbound swerved into the westbound lane.
As if on cue, police knocked on his door minutes later.
"They said do you have a daughter named Leesa, I said yes. He said would you please sit down," said Almond.
Almond died at the scene, but witnesses told police it wasn't her fault. The report stated a white GMC Truck swerved into Almond's lane, sending into her into oncoming traffic. It also stated the driver of that white truck didn't stop, or turn himself in.
"I think he just wanted to get away and let somebody pick up the pieces, but I am very grateful he was found," said Almond.
A Crime Stoppers tip led police to Mercer, who was from Joelton. His Facebook page shows off his white GMC truck. Mercer is now in police custody for questioning. Almond's father questioned why he is burying his little girl.
"At 39, through somebody's negligence, that is hard to accept, hard to accept," said Almond.
Mercer has not been charged with anything, but police confirmed that he is being interviewed about what happened on Interstate 24 East Monday night.
Police are working with the district attorney's office to determine where the case goes from here.
Leesa Almond's funeral will be next Monday night at 6 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Clarksville.
Email: kgebbia@newschannel5.com
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Leesa Almond
