Just after midnight on Saturday, June 13, 2026, a late-night run through downtown Nashville turned dangerous when two pedestrians were hit by a vehicle on Demonbreun Street near the Interstate 40 entrance ramp. Metro police say both people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and at least one was taken to a hospital. The driver took off instead of stopping.
Detectives are now canvassing the busy Demonbreun corridor, a key route funneling traffic into and out of downtown, looking for witnesses and any surveillance video that might help them track down the vehicle and the person behind the wheel.
Police detail the crash and response
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department responded shortly after midnight and confirmed two pedestrians had been struck on Demonbreun Street, according to WKRN News 2. The outlet reports that one of the victims was transported to a hospital and that both people injured were described as having non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators searching for the vehicle
Metro police described the injuries as "non-life-threatening" and said detectives with the department's crash unit are working to identify both the vehicle and the driver, WKRN News 2 reports. Investigators are asking anyone who was in the Demonbreun area after midnight and has surveillance or dash-cam footage to reach out.
Downtown pedestrian safety in focus
The collision lands in the middle of a broader and increasingly tense conversation about how safe it is to walk in Nashville. Pedestrian advocates held a protest in May, and WSMV reported that pedestrian deaths are higher this year than at the same time last year as the city continues its Vision Zero traffic safety projects. City officials told the station that some Vision Zero funds were reallocated but said projects that already have completed designs are still moving ahead.
Legal consequences
Under Tennessee law, drivers involved in crashes that injure another person are required to stop and render aid. Leaving the scene is a criminal offense. The Tennessee Code (TCA § 55-10-101) treats failing to remain after a crash that causes injury as a criminal violation and increases penalties when a crash results in death, according to Justia. If investigators manage to identify the driver in this case, prosecutors could consider charges based on the extent of the injuries and other evidence.
How to help investigators
Anyone with information, images or video connected to the hit-and-run is asked to contact Metro Nashville Police at 615-862-8600 or submit tips through the department's newsroom page at the Metro Nashville Police Department. Authorities say tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
