The TBI has identified the Warren County man who died Thursday in White County while in police custody.

Mauris Crespos, 34, of Morrison, has been identified as the man who walked away from a crash on Sparta Highway in DeKalb County on Thursday morning and died a short time later after being taken into custody by White County officers.

According to state trooper Bobby Johnson, the victim was a passenger in a 2003 Tahoe drive by Lakean Woods, 27, of Rock Island which left Sparta Highway and struck a rock embankment on the Sparta side of Sligo.  

The SUV then came to rest on its side on the shoulder of the highway. The driver was ejected during the crash. She was later airlifted to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville. Meanwhile, her passenger walked away and was found by White County deputies just across the county line.

According to the preliminary TBI report, when officers tried to detain him, he fought the officers and was hit with a taser. He was then cuffed, placed in the patrol car and taken to the White County Jail. However, upon arrival he was unresponsive. He was transported to White County hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death is still under investigation by the TBI.