Police: Man dies in Columbus crash after shoving driver’s head into steering wheel

The 25-year-old Phenix City man who died in Monday’s single-vehicle crash on J.R. Allen Parkway pushed the driver’s head into the steering wheel prior to the collision, according to an accident report from the Columbus Police Department.

Jeremie Markey Perry was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:38 p.m, said Muscogee Chief Deputy Coroner Freeman Worley.

Police said they were called around 1:10 p.m. Monday to investigate a crash on the westbound Bradley Park Drive ramp entering J.R. Allen Parkway. The driver told authorities that Perry, the only passenger, was sitting in the backseat of her 2006 Honda Accord when they started arguing about a loan. He became upset and told her to shut up, she said. As she was driving down the ramp to the parkway, Perry allegedly shoved her head into the steering wheel.

The vehicle veered off to the left side of the road and continued westbound before sliding down an embankment. It struck two trees on the driver’s side and then another tree head on. The Honda began to vault while spinning counterclockwise and struck another tree on the passenger’s side.

The vehicle then slid down the tree, rotated on its roof and came to a stop, still facing West. The driver of the vehicle was not wearing her seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, according to police.

Perry was not ejected from the vehicle, according to the police report. The driver was in stable condition at Midtown Medical Center Tuesday afternoon, confirmed Columbus Regional spokeswoman Jessica Word.

The wreck remains under investigation.

This story was originally published July 12, 2016 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Police: Man dies in Columbus crash after shoving driver’s head into steering wheel."