Germantown – the historic neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee – is set to plant a tree to forever remember the life of the woman who was killed in an accident that involved country music singer Conner Smith.
Smith, who is signed to Big Machine Records, is most prominently known as an artist who rose in the country music ranks 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, and he’s since made plenty of appearances at various country music festivals.
On the last day of CMA Fest this past year, a day after he played at the event’s Riverfront Stage, Conner Smith was involved in a tragic accident that took the life of 77-year-old Dorothy “Dot” Dobbins.
Initial reports from TMZ suggested that country music singer Conner Smith was behind the wheel of a truck that struck and killed an elderly woman in Nashville. According to law enforcement, Smith was heading north on 3rd Avenue in his Chevy Silverado as 77-year-old Dobbins was attempting to cross the street.
Nashville authorities 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.
Over a month after the accident, 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 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.”
One way that her memory will be honored is through a memorial tree planting, which is being organized by the Historic Germantown Neighborhood. On Saturday, November 8, the tree will be planted in Morgan Park – which is located near the crosswalk (from 3rd avenue to the greenway path) where Dobbins tragically lost her life.
When Dobbins passed away, friends and family remembered her as a respected, compassionate person that greatly valued community service. She was a mother, grandmother, an advocate for domestic abuse awareness, and a friend to many in the community. Dobbins was a tremendous asset to Nashville, and she’ll now be forever remembered with the memorial tree planted within Morgan Park.
