A Nashville man who admitted to striking a pedestrian on Lafayette Street in March is now at the center of a fatal hit-and-run case, after the victim died from his injuries earlier this month.
Police say 41-year-old Ronnie Wilson was hit on March 27 while crossing Lafayette Street near Fairfield Avenue around 6:15 a.m. He was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with serious injuries and later died on May 9 from crash-related complications. Officers say the driver took off and was tracked down only after investigators identified and located the vehicle.
On Wednesday, May 13, Metro Nashville police arrested 27-year-old Tyler Leavy on counts that include evidence tampering, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, failure to render aid, and failure to immediately notify authorities, according to WZTV/FOX17. Those charges are expected to be upgraded in light of Wilson’s death. Leavy was released on a $7,500 bond, the outlet reported.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Wilson was crossing near Fairfield Avenue when a black Mercedes SUV heading east on Lafayette struck him. The department’s initial bulletin said the SUV had damage near the windshield wipers and was missing its front Mercedes emblem, and urged anyone with tips to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
Investigators say they found the damaged Mercedes later that same day. According to WZTV/FOX17, Leavy at first denied any role in the crash, allegedly telling officers the damage came from hitting an animal. Police say he later contacted a Metro sergeant and admitted he had struck someone near the Napier area. Detectives say the investigation is still active as they prepare potential upgraded charges.
Legal next steps
With Wilson’s death now part of the file, Metro police say more serious counts are likely, but any homicide or enhanced felony charges would have to be brought by the District Attorney’s Office once investigators hand over their evidence.
Under Tennessee law, a driver who fails to stop after a crash that results in injury or death can face misdemeanor or felony penalties if the person knew, or reasonably should have known, that a death occurred. The framework and possible punishments are laid out in Justia’s posting of Tennessee Code §55-10-101.
Dangerous stretch and community reaction
The March 27 crash is one of several recent collisions on Lafayette Street, a corridor local reporters have described as part of a high-injury network. In a separate incident on Easter Sunday, two people were killed in another hit-and-run along the same street, turning up the volume on long-standing safety complaints.
Coverage by WSMV and NewsChannel5 has highlighted families’ demands for accountability along Lafayette and lawmakers’ interest in stiffening Tennessee’s hit-and-run penalties.
Anyone with information about the March 27 crash that critically injured Wilson, and ultimately led to his death, is still urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department’s original release. MNPD and the District Attorney’s Office have not provided additional public comment beyond what has been shared with local outlets.
