Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan surrendered to authorities in Nashville on Wednesday to face six misdemeanor charges after allegedly striking two pedestrians with his pickup truck and driving away.
The incident occurred just before midnight on Nov. 5 in downtown Nashville. According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, two pedestrians were crossing Broadway from Fourth Avenue with a walk sign when a pickup truck turned right from Fourth Avenue.
Police said that the truck ran over both victims’ feet and made contact with one of the individuals’ legs. The pedestrians suffered minor injuries in the collision.
Rather than stopping at the scene, the driver kept going. The pedestrians flagged down the vehicle when it stopped at a red light a block away. The victims took photos of Ryan’s license plate and the driver, while police confirmed the truck was registered to Ryan.
Attorney Michael Holland and his wife, the victims in the incident, spoke publicly about the confrontation following the collision. Holland asserted that Ryan almost killed them as they crossed the street.
If we had been six inches further out, I’d be in a hospital right now and so would my wife.
Michael Holland, via California Post
Holland added that after catching up to the vehicle and pounding on the window, the driver stepped out to argue before leaving. “He was told in no uncertain terms what he had done, and instead of staying at the scene or even saying, ‘Sorry,’ he just got back in his vehicle and took off,” Holland said, according to the reporting.
Ryan, 63, surrendered for booking Wednesday morning after being wanted on six outstanding misdemeanor warrants. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed charging him with striking two pedestrians.
The specific counts include two charges of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information or render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal. A judicial commissioner set his bond at $6,000.
Ryan established his reputation in the NFL as a defensive coordinator, following in his father Buddy Ryan’s footsteps. He later gained widespread attention as head coach of the New York Jets, leading the franchise for six seasons before his firing in 2014. He subsequently coached the Buffalo Bills for two seasons until his dismissal in December 2016.
Since leaving coaching, Ryan has worked as an analyst for ESPN, appearing regularly on programs such as Sunday NFL Countdown.
Earlier coverage: Rex Ryan Surrenders in Nashville, Charged in Alleged Hit-and-Run
