Sumner County Man Indicted in Death of Brian Neville

By Debbie Gregory

Joaquin Pena Ramos, 40, of Sumner County, has been indicted on charges stemming from the January 28, 2024, two vehicle crash at the intersection of Airport Road and Old Airport Road in Gallatin, that killed 36-year-old Brian Neville, of Lafayette.

According to the indictment returned by the Sumner County Grand Jury, Pena Ramos was indicted on the following charges: Vehicular Homicide, DUI 2nd Offense, Driving on Revoked License and Violation of Financial Responsibility Law.

As previously reported in the Macon County Chronicle, a crash report released by the Gallatin Police Department stated that Joaquin Pena Ramos was driving a Dodge Durango when he entered the oncoming lane of travel and collided head-on with a Jeep Patriot, driven by Brian Neville, who was on his way to work at ABC Technologies. The crash happened at approximately 6:16 a.m.

Neville was transported by Sumner County EMS to a medical facility where he was pronounced deceased. Pena Ramos wasn’t injured.

The indictment states:

The Grand Jurors of Sumner County, Tennessee, upon their oath, present that Joaquin Pena Ramos on or about January 28, 2024, in Sumner County, Tn., did unlawfully and recklessly kill Brian Neville by the operation of a motor vehicle, the killing of Brian Neville being the proximate result of Joaquin Pena Ramos’ intoxication as operator of said motor vehicle, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.

Count 2: The Grand Jurors of Sumner County, Tennessee, upon their oath, present that Joaquin Pena Ramos on or about January 28, 2024, in Sumner County, Tn., did unlawfully drive or was in physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways, roads and streets of Sumner County and the State of Tennessee while the alcohol concentration in his blood was eight-hundredths of one percent (.08%) or more, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.

Count 3: The Grand Jurors of Sumner County, Tennessee, upon their oath, present that Joaquin Pena Ramos on or about January 28, 2024, in Sumner County, Tn., did unlawfully operate a motor vehicle upon the public highways, roads and streets of Sumner County and the State of Tennessee without then and there having in his possession a valid motor vehicle operator’s or chauffeur’s license, the same being in a state of revocation, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.

Count 4: The Grand Jurors of Sumner County, Tennessee, upon their oath, present that Joaquin Pena Ramos on or about January 28, 2024, in Sumner County, Tn., did unlawfully fail to provide evidence of financial responsibility as required by the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated 55-12-139, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.

Count 5: The Grand Jurors of Sumner County, Tennessee, upon their oath, present that Joaquin Pena Ramos on or about January 28, 2024, in Sumner County, Tn., had previously been convicted of one offense of driving while under the influence of an intoxicant or narcotic drugs, said previous conviction occurring in the General Sessions Court of Sumner County, Tenn., on July 19, 2023, for an offense committed on January 8, 2017, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.

Joaquin Pena Ramos’ bond is $250,000 on the pending charges, however he is being held without bond in the Sumner County Jail, on a probation violation. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 19, 2024.