Knoxville police are looking for the driver who took a forbidden late-night cruise across the pedestrian-only Gay Street Bridge, plowing through new safety barriers and city landscaping before ditching the car and running off. The crash, which happened early Saturday, caused property damage but no injuries, according to authorities.
The Knoxville Police Department says a black Nissan headed south across the span from the north side of the Tennessee River at around 3 a.m., slipping past newly installed bollards, hitting both sets of the barriers, and tearing up landscaping along the approach. As reported by WVLT, KPD hit-and-run investigators have identified a person of interest but are still asking anyone with information to call 865-215-7370.
Bridge history and why the bollards are there
The Gay Street Bridge was closed to vehicles after a 2024 inspection found structural concerns, then converted into a pedestrian and bike route as part of a $2.7 million rehabilitation that added landscaping and vehicle-blocking bollards. That reopening was covered in detail when the bridge reopened for pedestrians and cyclists, and the safety findings that led to the vehicle restrictions are laid out in the City of Knoxville inspection summary.
Police appeal and what to look for
KPD says its hit-and-run unit has identified a person of interest but has not announced any arrests and is urging anyone who was near the bridge at the time, or who may have captured video, to share tips or footage. The department has reiterated the tip line for this investigation; as WVLT reports, people with information can call 865-215-7370.
Officials say the bollards are meant to keep vehicles off the span so pedestrians and cyclists can use the bridge safely, and the city is working to fix the damaged landscaping. Anyone with information can contact the Knoxville Police Department non-emergency tip line or call the number above, and investigators are pressing for quick leads while the case remains active.
