A North Nashville afternoon turned grim on March 2 when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near Jefferson Street and 14th Avenue North, and police say the driver took off instead of sticking around. Family members later identified the victim as 44-year-old Cortney Morgan, who was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with multiple injuries and was still under care as of Monday, March 9. The Metro Nashville Police Department’s Traffic Division is handling the hit-and-run investigation, and neighbors, along with churchgoers from the area, say the crash has left them rattled and closely watching for updates.
According to WSMV, a witness told detectives that a female driver hit Morgan with the front of her vehicle, then got out and appeared to “make contact” before getting back into the car and driving away. The witness described the driver as a thin-build Black woman wearing light-blue clothing, but could not offer a description of the vehicle. Investigators say they still do not have details on the car and are working to pull any video they can find from passersby and nearby businesses.
Family and church ties
Morgan’s family told WSMV that he "has autism and occasionally visits Nashville to attend his favorite church," and that he usually relies on Metro Transit buses to get around. Clark Memorial United Methodist Church sits only a couple of blocks from where he was struck, relatives said, and people connected with the church have been voicing concern and praying for his recovery. Family members have asked for privacy while Morgan remains hospitalized and investigators work to track down the driver who left the scene.
What the law says
In Tennessee, leaving the scene of a crash that causes serious bodily injury can bring felony charges, and prosecutors look closely at the level of harm and what the driver did after the impact when deciding how to proceed. Court rulings and legal summaries emphasize that the specific facts of each case shape the potential criminal penalties. For a detailed example of how state courts treat hit-and-run and related laws, see Justia.
How to help investigators
Detectives are urging anyone who was in the area to check for video, whether it is on a phone, a doorbell camera, or a business security system, and to share it with investigators, noting that even a few seconds of footage can turn out to be key. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or through Metro police non-emergency channels, in line with guidance from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Anyone who knows anything about the March 2 collision is encouraged to contact authorities so investigators can follow up.
Where this happened and safety context
Jefferson Street has been on the city’s radar for safety improvements, with NDOT outlining corridor and intersection projects that aim to upgrade crosswalks and cut down on pedestrian injuries. Those long-term plans, officials note, do not change the immediate priority of identifying the driver who left the scene, which is why eyewitness accounts and video are so important in cases like this. Community members say they want answers for Morgan’s family and hope this investigation also pushes forward overdue safety upgrades along the busy stretch.
