Conner Smith has been issued a misdemeanor citation after his fatal car accident in Nashville.
Last month, Smith was involved in a fatal accident on the last day of CMA Fest when he struck a pedestrian with his truck near downtown Nashville.
According to law enforcement, Smith was heading north on 3rd Avenue in his Chevy Silverado as 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins was attempting to cross the street.
Nashville authorities have reported that Dobbins – who was a local resident of Nashville – was in a marked crosswalk when she was tragically hit around 7:30 PM. First responders rushed to the scene following the incident, and the 77-year-old Nashvillian was transported to the nearby Vanderbilt Medical Center. She unfortunately succumbed to her injuries and was officially pronounced dead at the hospital.
Early reports suggest that Dorothy Dobbins had the right of way in the crosswalk, and that Smith failed to yield to her in his Chevrolet Silverado. Importantly, the police say that Conner Smith did not show any signs of impairment immediately after the crash, nor was he using his cell phone as he was driving. Witnesses also say that Smith rushed to help Dobbins after the accident.
And the charges seem to indicate that it was nothing more than a tragic accident.
Last night, Smith was issued a misdemeanor citation for failure to yield the right of way resulting in death. The charge is a Class A misdemeanor in Tennessee, meaning Smith could face up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both, though jail time in this case seems unlikely.
In a statement after the charges, Smith’s attorney Worrick Robinson IV (who, coincidentally, also represented Morgan Wallen in his chair-throwing charges last year), said that the country star remains cooperative and hopes to use the tragic accident as an opportunity to improve pedestrian safety:
“Conner is incredibly grateful to the MNPD for their time and efforts to carefully investigate this tragic accident and has continued to cooperate at all times. His thoughts remain with Ms. Dobbins’ family, and he remains committed to honoring her memory by supporting pedestrian safety efforts.”
Nashville has already installed new “Yield to Crosswalk” signs in the intersection where Dobbins lost her life, and also removed a tree that had previously blocked visibility for drivers and pedestrians.
Smith, who is signed to Big Machine Records, rose in the country music ranks largely thanks to TikTok. His song “I Hate Alabama” went viral a couple of years ago, and fans might also recognize his hit song “Creek Will Rise,” or his Tennessee anthem “Orange and White.” He also released his debut album Smoky Mountains in January 2024.
Since the accident, Smith has cancelled his scheduled performances and understandably taken a step back from the stage.
Last month, TMZ released audio from the 911 calls made in the aftermath of the incident. There were several calls made by witnesses immediately after the accident, with dispatchers telling callers that they were aware of the situation and already had first responders en route.
Several of the calls refer to the victim as a male, and one reports that Dobbins was sitting up against Smith’s truck:
“They have them sitting up in the street now in front of the truck.”
Callers confirmed that the vehicle involved was a black Chevy truck, and one reported that they weren’t sure of the status of the victim:
“There was an individual that just got hit by a car, [she’s] down, I don’t know that [she’s] responsive or anything.”
Just a tragic situation all around.
