A tragic series of pedestrian deaths has once again triggered concern in downtown Nashville, with the latest incident occurring early Saturday morning. A 58-year-old man, identified as Michael O'Connell of Belmar, New Jersey, lost his life while using a pedestrian crosswalk at 12th Avenue and Broadway. WSMV reports that O’Connell had the walk light in his favor when he was struck by a Dodge pickup truck.
According to the WKRN, the driver of the truck, Joey Nixon, 36, from Waverly, Tennessee, was attempting to make a left turn onto Broadway when he failed to yield to O’Connell. Witness accounts suggest that immediately prior to the crash, Nixon was speeding and "spinning the pickup’s tires". He left the scene after the accident but returned shortly afterward, and was cited for "failure to yield the right of way".
Police say that despite the tragic outcome, no signs of impairment were observed in Nixon. Nonetheless, the gravity of the incident dictates that the case will be further examined by the Davidson County District Attorney's Office once the police have concluded their investigation. This information comes from an update provided by The Tennessean, detailing the aftermath of O'Connell's death.
O'Connell’s death marks the second pedestrian fatality in less than a week in the Nashville area. Earlier on Thursday, another life was claimed when an alleged drunk driver lost control and struck a 66-year-old man on a sidewalk.
