An intoxicated driver veered out of his lane and smashed into another car head-on — killing his eight-months-pregnant wife, the unborn baby and another woman, authorities say.
Jonathan Jones, from Luttrell in the US-state of Tennessee, is alleged to have been driving recklessly and attempting to pass cars over a double line in the moments before the crash, witnesses claimed in court records.
At one stage the 20-year-old, who was driving east when his Nissan car crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Ford SUV at around 6pm on Friday, the New York Post reports.
Jones’ wife, Casandra, 28, and their unborn son — whom they had already named Jonathon Chad — were pronounced dead at 7.24pm, records stated.
A passenger in the Ford, Virginia Brooks, died from her injuries the following morning.
When Jones was in the hospital, an expert at drug recognition noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery, authorities said.
The young husband admitted at one point that he smoked marijuana every day, officials said.
Both vehicles involved in the crash were so mangled that some of the victims had to be cut out of the wreckage, the Knox County Rural Metro Fire crew wrote on Facebook.
Grisly photos showed the Nissan’s roof cut off and a dark red stain that appeared to be blood on the passenger seat.
In his mugshot, Jones had purple bruises under both eyes, apparently from the accident.
Jones was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide with driver intoxication, two counts of reckless aggravated assault, and one count of improper passing, according to court documents viewed by the New York Post. He is due in court for a bond hearing on Wednesday.
Jonathan and Casandra Jones were married October 7 last year, according to Facebook.
The young couple shared several celebratory pregnancy memories in the months before the crash — including one photograph of Jones grinning with his hand on Casandra’s stomach.
“U are the most beautiful woman on the planet I love you baby,” Jones wrote underneath the post.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol, which is investigating the crash, declined to comment on the incident, citing concerns about ongoing prosecution.
This article originally appeared on The New York Post and was reproduced with permission