A Tennessee Highway Patrol chase through Memphis ended earlier this month with a state trooper’s suspect slamming into a car driven by Reggie Pederson, a local photographer with no connection to the pursuit, killing him. The driver, Donell Alford, was free on $250,000 bond at the time — out on release stemming from a separate police chase just weeks earlier, according to court records.
The crash happened on August 2 at Airways Boulevard, according to Action News 5. A trooper reported clocking Alford traveling nearly 90 mph in a 40 mph zone before he ran a red light at Airways Boulevard and Park Avenue, ignored additional red lights, and crossed into oncoming traffic while continuing at a speed too fast for road conditions. The trooper caught up to Alford at Airways Boulevard and Ketchum Road, where Alford crashed into Pederson’s car.
Pederson had no involvement in the chase. A 6-year-old child riding with Alford at the time of the crash suffered a traumatic head injury and bit through his tongue, and was rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Alford is currently being held in the prison ward at the hospital, the station reports.
A Photographer Who Documented Memphis Music
Pederson worked under the name R2C Visuals and was the official photographer for the Memphis Songwriters Association’s 2026 Showcase, as well as the primary photographer for regional acts including Elevation Memphis, according to the Memphis Songwriters Association. He documented showcase events at venues like Lafayette’s Music Room and worked closely with local musicians throughout the Memphis live scene…