A vehicle crashed into the Smoothie King at 1995 Union Avenue in Midtown Memphis on Saturday morning, injuring one person who was taken to a hospital in non-critical condition. Memphis Police responded around 10:30 a.m. to the two-vehicle crash and are investigating what caused one of the vehicles to strike the storefront.
The crash was first reported by WATN Local 24, which cited Memphis Police confirming the two-vehicle collision at the smoothie shop on Union Avenue. The Smoothie King sits inside a 7,800-square-foot retail strip located across from a Chick-fil-A in a stretch of Midtown dense with fast-casual tenants, according to Showcase.com property records.
Traffic Safety Measures on Union Avenue
Saturday's crash comes amid regional road-safety planning. The Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2026 Safety Action Plan includes a regional safety analysis, per the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The City of Memphis and Memphis Police partnered with traffic vendor Verra Mobility, and Union Avenue between Rembert Street and Morrison Avenue is listed as a school-zone camera location, according to the City of Memphis.
Traffic Through Midtown
Union Avenue is a commercial thoroughfare with heavy traffic.
The danger isn't confined to this single storefront. Citizen reported that a 911 caller described a possible three-vehicle incident on Union Avenue at South Cleveland Street in late September involving a BMW, Nissan and Hyundai, according to Citizen.
Memphis's Broader Traffic Safety Crisis
The Smoothie King crash also arrives against a troubling citywide backdrop. A Washington Post national safety analysis found Memphis has the highest pedestrian fatality rate among major U.S. cities, nearly three times the national average, as reported by Local Memphis/ABC24.
Memphis Police are still investigating Saturday's crash, and it remains unclear whether the Smoothie King building sustained structural damage that could force a temporary closure, or whether citations will follow once the official crash report is finalized.
