Three years after man was killed by concrete on I-24, his family renews $10,000 reward for information
Nearly three years after Joe Shelton Jr. was killed when concrete crashed through his car windshield while he was driving on I-24, his family is renewing the $10,000 reward for information about the tragedy.
Joe C. Shelton Jr., 54, was killed on Nov. 20, 2018 as he drove to work on I-24 through Nashville — the same route he took for nearly three decades — after a 23-pound piece of concrete struck his windshield, Metro Nashville Police reported at the time.
Since then, his family, including, wife Kimberly Shelton, have sought answers — and closure.
Seeking answers: With few leads in case of man killed by rock thrown from I-24 overpass, family doubles reward to $10,000
'No hope, no leads': A year after man was killed by concrete on I-24, family seeks answers
Nashville police detectives at the time said the concrete was likely thrown from the Shelby Avenue bridge and through the windshield of the Nissan Shelton drove, hitting the Pleasant View man in the face. Shelton was found dead after a subsequent multi-vehicle crash near the Shelby Avenue Bridge.
Tennessee Department of Transportation bridge inspectors determined the concrete had not been part of the bridge and resembled a piece of curb, police have said.
Three years later, police still have not identified any witnesses.
Shelton's death wasn't the first time a driver was killed after something hit their windshield. on a Middle Tennessee highway
On Jan. 18, 1992, Larry Hazelwood, was killed when two teenagers threw a large rock over a Smyrna overpass onto the pickup truck he was driving.
The teens who threw the rock, then 16 and 18, both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were each sentenced to 17 years in prison.
After his death, Hazelwood's twin sister, Lara Hazelwood, created the Larry Hazelwood Overpass Protection Initiative as a page on Facebook, to see if anyone was interested in helping her push for awareness of the problems and to find the budget for fences.
'It brings back all the memories:': Death of driver after rock thrown from overpass echoes tragedy for family fighting for change
Shelton's death in 2018 resonated with her.
"Whenever something like this happens, I get calls, I get texts, I get emails, I get Facebook messages. It brings back all the memories. It's been really hard on our family," Hazelwood told The Tennessean at the time.
Since 2000, Tennessean archives show at least half a dozen notable incidents of rocks thrown off bridges and overpasses striking vehicles passing below — in Knox, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford and Shelby Counties.
A Metro Nashville Police spokesperson said in 2018 there was no way to know how many incidents have actually occurred over the years, as the department does not specifically track those reports.
Have information in Shelton's death?
Anyone with information about Shelton’s death is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Crime Stoppers is also offering an additional reward of up to $1,000.
Reporters Natalie Neysa Alund and Mariah Timms contributed to this report.
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Meghan Mangrum covers education for the USA TODAY Network — Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 10K reward remains after man killed by concrete on I-24 in Nashville
