Gwinnett police: Man purposely caused deadly 7-car pile-up

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County police now say a man who caused a seven car pile-up last week and killed a woman did it on purpose.
 
The big question of why the 22-year-old would ram through the intersection still isn't answered. Detectives said they haven't entirely nailed that answer down, but they are now asking a judge for warrants of murder and 10 counts of aggravated assault.
 
Police now say whatever was going through Jason Nicholson's mind, he intentionally caused this seven car pile-up. Detectives said he rammed his minivan head-on into cars stopped at Singelton Road near Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
 
 "I looked up and that car was rolling over the top of us," said victim Dudley Berry.
 
The impact sent his van airborne, flipping over several vehicles. Witnesses at the scene told Channel 2's Tony Thomas Nicholson's van landed on one car, killing 59-year-old Cynthia Thornton.
 
 "He intentionally ran into those vehicles," said Cpl. Ed Ritter.
 
Police are now asking a judge for 10 aggravated assault warrants, one for each of the surviving victims in the cars Nicholson hit and a felony murder charge for the death.
 
[Why that intersection?] "We don't know we are still doing the investigation," Ritter said.
 
"He ran the red light moving at 80 to a 100 miles an hour," said witness Mike Alvarado.
 
Police said they have no reason to believe Nicholson was targeting anyone at the intersection and aren't sure why he would have picked that moment to make such a move.
 
"Unfortunately someone died, needlessly died because of this persons actions and his intentional act," Ritter said.
 
Police said Nicholson was severely injured in the crash but is expected to survive. He is under police guard at the hospital and will be taken to jail once he's released.

WSBTV