A Pedestrian Says Rex Ryan's Truck 'Almost Killed' Him and His Wife as the Former Coach's Case Heads to a Dec. 18 Hearing

One of the two pedestrians who police say were run over by Rex Ryan's pickup truck in downtown Nashville is now telling his side of the story, as the former NFL coach's misdemeanor case heads toward a court date next month ^[5][6].

The man told the New York Post that Ryan "almost killed" him and his wife as they crossed the street ^[5]. He said the truck rolled over both of his feet and over one of his wife's feet and part of her leg, and he shared a photo that showed scratches and dark marks on her leg ^[5]. ProFootballTalk, the NFL news site run by NBC Sports, also reported the couple's account and said the pickup carried a vanity plate referring to Ryan's coaching days ^[6].

The Case So Far

Ryan, who coached the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills and now works as an ESPN analyst, turned himself in to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on Wednesday, Nov. 11, on six outstanding misdemeanor warrants ^[1]. He faces two counts each of leaving the scene of an accident, failing to give information or render aid, and failing to obey a traffic control signal ^[1][3].

Police have said the two pedestrians had the right of way at a downtown intersection on Broadway, in the heart of the city's honky-tonk district, when the driver of a pickup turned through it and ran over their feet ^[1][2]. Police said the truck left after an argument, without the driver exchanging information, and the pedestrians photographed the truck and its plate ^[1][3]. In the police account, the injuries were described as minor ^[1]. The man's description of the danger is far more serious than that, and it will be up to a court, not the press, to weigh the evidence.

A judicial commissioner set Ryan's bond at $6,000, and he was then released on pretrial conditions that did not require him to post cash ^[1]. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 18, ProFootballTalk reported ^[6].

Ryan's Response

Ryan has not spoken publicly about the incident. His attorney said he turned himself in immediately once he learned that warrants had been issued, the New York Post reported ^[4], and his lawyers have said he cooperated with law enforcement ^[6]. ESPN said it was aware of the situation and in contact with Ryan ^[1][2].

Why It Matters

Ryan is one of football's best-known personalities, a coach who took the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Games and then became a familiar voice on television ^[2]. Fans will want the full story, and so will the two people on that crosswalk.

Two things can be true at once. A man accused of a crime deserves due process and should not be convicted in the court of public opinion, and pedestrians who say they were hurt and left in the street deserve to be heard and to see the law applied evenly, no matter how famous the driver is. The duty to stop, help and exchange information after striking someone exists for good reason: it lets the injured get care and lets the facts be settled fairly.

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The charges are misdemeanors, far from the felony hit-and-run cases that usually make headlines, but they are not trivial. A judge will weigh the photographs and the pedestrians' statements against whatever account Ryan and his lawyers present.

We will keep following the case as it moves toward the Dec. 18 hearing.