Gotta keep your head on a swivel down there.
Over the past decade or so, Nashville has developed a (well-earned) reputation for being one of the top party cities in the country, thanks mostly to the scene on lower Broadway in downtown Music City.
With over 40 bars in a 5-block stretch, many owned by some of the biggest names in country music, Broadway has turned into a massive tourist destination where visitors flock from all over the world to have a good time, listen to music, and get (in many cases) way too hammered.
Unfortunately though, like in any major city that’s filled with people who are in town to let loose, there are also some who seek to take advantage of visitors who aren’t familiar with the city and end up letting their guard down.
The past few years, we’ve seen plenty of stories from people who were drugged or had their drinks spiked while they were out in Nashville.
Just a few months ago, NewsNation interviewed a couple who say they were drugged at a bar in midtown, and social media is filled with stories and warnings from people who claim that they were the victims of drink spiking while partying on Broadway at the bars in downtown Nashville.
We’ve reported on it here before, and even heard criticism from folks in Nashville who aren’t happy that we’re bringing attention to it (which is ironic that they’re more upset at us for reporting on it than they are that it’s happening in the first place). But just this past week, a woman was arrested in Music City for her part in a scheme to drug and rob men in downtown Nashville.
The whole saga started back in June 2024, when a man reported that he had been robbed after getting into a vehicle with a woman in downtown Nashville and then being driven to a gas station, where he was made to get out of the car and was left behind.
When the man got home, he realized that he was missing his phone and wallet, and there were charges made to his credit card. The man reported that he believed he had been drugged, and didn’t remember where he was before or after he was dropped off.
Using the Find My iPhone feature, the man was able to track down his phone at a kiosk in the city that buys cell phones. Video surveillance showed two women selling the phone shortly after the man arrived home.
The driver of the vehicle containing the two women was identified as 43-year old Erica Williams, who was arrested on May 27 on charges of theft over $10,000, theft over $1,000, identity theft, computer fraud over $2,500, and fraudulent use of a credit card over $1,000. She remains in jail on a $75,000 bond.
And as it turns out, Williams was already wanted in Davidson County in connection with allegations of men being drugged and robbed, and was seen driving her same vehicle during CMA Fest that year.
It’s an unfortunate warning to tourists coming to Nashville to have a good time and let loose that you still need to remain vigilant and make sure that you aren’t putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Watch your drink and your wallet, don’t get in a car with strangers in hopes of getting laid, and don’t drink so much that you end up in a police report the next day.
Oh, and don’t request “Wagon Wheel” at every bar you go to.
