Country singer Conner Smith was driving the truck that struck and killed a 77-year-old pedestrian in Nashville on Sunday (June 8), Billboard has confirmed.
A release from the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday (June 9) stated that a 24-year-old man named Conner Smith was behind the wheel during Sunday’s accident. The pedestrian was identified as 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins.
According to the release, a preliminary investigation showed that a Chevrolet Silverado truck driven by Smith was traveling north on 3rd Ave. N. while Dobbins was crossing the road. The release indicated that Dobbins was inside a marked crosswalk when she was struck around 7:30 p.m. that evening. Dobbins was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died due to injuries sustained in the accident.
According to the police department’s release, the primary factor in the crash seemed to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian. The release noted that Smith showed no signs of impairment and that there are currently no charges, though the investigation is ongoing.
Smith’s attorney Worrick G. Robinson told Billboard in a statement: “On June 8th, Mr. Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life. His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins’ family during this incredibly difficult time. Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.”
Sources close to Smith tell Billboard that the incident was a tragic accident and that Smith was not under the influence, nor distracted by his phone at the time of the incident.
Sources at the scene note that Smith was released quickly, as there was no sign of impairment.
Nashville native Smith first broke through in 2021, when his song “I Hate Alabama” went viral. He issued the EP Didn’t Go Too Far in 2022 and followed with the singles “Learn From It” and “Take It Slow.” He earned his all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart debut last year with “Creek Will Rise,” which entered the chart at No. 89 and rose to No. 12 on the Country Airplay chart. This year, he teamed with Dylan Marlowe to release the collaboration “Country In the Clouds.”
