Former NFL coach Rex Ryan was arrested Wednesday after allegedly running over two pedestrians’ feet with his pickup truck and driving away in downtown Nashville. The 63-year-old surrendered for booking on November 11th following an incident the previous week. He faces six misdemeanor charges stemming from the encounter, which police said left both pedestrians with minor injuries.
The incident happened shortly before midnight on November 5th near Fourth Avenue and Broadway. The pedestrians told investigators they were crossing Broadway with a walk signal when a pickup turned right from Fourth Avenue. Police said the truck’s tires passed over both people’s feet, while the vehicle also made contact with one pedestrian’s leg.
The pedestrians said the driver continued down Broadway before stopping at a red light at Representative John Lewis Way. They approached and waved him down, then described an argument after he climbed out of the truck. According to their account, he returned to the vehicle and drove away. They photographed the driver and the pickup’s license plate, which police connected to Ryan.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Ryan surrendered on six outstanding warrants. The charges include two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failing to provide information or render aid, and two counts of failing to obey a traffic control signal. These remain allegations against the former coach. As Breitbart reported, the arrest followed the pedestrians’ account of the collision and subsequent confrontation.
Arrest affidavits reviewed by Nashville station WSMV provided additional details about how investigators identified the driver. The station reported that one pedestrian searched for a photograph of the driver on a phone and identified him. Officers also compared the registered vehicle owner’s driver’s license photograph and said it matched. The affidavits further stated that investigators obtained camera footage of the incident.
Ryan’s attorney also spoke with WSMV about his client’s decision to report to authorities. The attorney told the station that Ryan became aware of the allegations, went to the police station Wednesday and was released immediately. The attorney added that Ryan’s side was examining the case and the facts while cooperating with the investigation. That statement came as local reporting drew on the arrest affidavits to describe the police investigation.
See ABC News’ video report here:
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Ryan, a former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, now works as an ESPN football analyst. The Associated Press reported that he appeared on the network Sunday and Monday following the alleged incident. ESPN addressed the matter Wednesday in a brief statement: “We are aware and are in touch with Rex.”
A judicial commissioner initially set Ryan’s bond at $6,000. However, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office told the AP that he qualified for pretrial release and was released under non-financial conditions. Ryan’s attorney, David Raybin, told the AP that his client surrendered immediately after learning of the charges. Raybin also said the defense had only received the warrant that day and had limited information about the allegations, while pledging continued cooperation with law enforcement. His next court appearance is scheduled for December.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.