Former NFL coach Rex Ryan has been arrested in Nashville after allegedly striking two pedestrians with his pickup truck and driving away, police said on Wednesday. The 63-year-old, now an ESPN analyst, turned himself in on November 11 on six misdemeanor warrants tied to the incident on November 5, and was released on a $6,000 bond early Wednesday morning. He is scheduled to appear in a Nashville courtroom on December 18 at 8:30 a.m.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the incident happened just before midnight on Thursday, November 5, on Broadway, the city’s famed downtown strip. Police said the two pedestrians were crossing Broadway from 4th Avenue with a walk sign when Ryan’s pickup turned right from 4th Avenue, running over both victims’ feet and making contact with one of their legs. The pedestrians suffered minor injuries, and police said they photographed the truck’s licence plate, which helped authorities identify Ryan as the vehicle’s registered owner.
The six charges
Ryan faces two counts 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. All six are misdemeanours. Warrants were issued after the investigation, and Ryan turned himself in on Wednesday morning, when he was booked into the Davidson County Jail. A judicial commissioner set his bond at $6,000, but he qualified for pretrial release, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, meaning he was released on non-financial conditions.
The charges are allegations at this stage, and Ryan is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. No conviction has been recorded, and the case will be formally addressed at his first court appearance next month.
What Ryan and ESPN said
Ryan’s attorney, David Raybin, said his client surrendered immediately after learning about the charges. “Because we just received the warrant today, we currently have limited information regarding the allegations,” Raybin said on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Neither Ryan nor his representatives had released a further statement about the incident as of Wednesday evening.
ESPN said in a statement on Wednesday: “We are aware and are in touch with Rex.” The network has announced no public disciplinary decision. Ryan, a former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, has been a long-time ESPN analyst, and his arrest is the latest off-field headline for a coach whose sideline career was defined by big personalities and bigger press conferences. For now, the focus shifts to the Nashville courtroom on December 18, when the six misdemeanour charges will be formally addressed. Readers can follow other sports news in our report on Wednesday NBA: Spurs and Lakers put streaks on the line and the Knicks routing the Bucks 117-85.
