New Year's Day 2026 started with heartbreak in Nashville. Two separate hit-and-run crashes took the lives of two pedestrians in the early morning hours of January 1st.
Both incidents happened around 1:30 a.m., right as people were wrapping up their New Year's Eve celebrations.
What Happened on Hermitage Avenue
The first tragedy unfolded outside Pecker's Bar & Grill at 237 Hermitage Avenue.
23-year-old Afriye Seegars was standing on the sidewalk with a 24-year-old man, waiting for their rideshare to arrive. They were doing everything right — staying out of the street, waiting safely on the sidewalk.
That's when a speeding red or maroon car, possibly a Ford Mustang, jumped the curb and drove onto the sidewalk, striking both of them. Afriye died at the scene. The man she was with is still in critical condition.
The driver took off without stopping.
The Nolensville Pike Incident
Around the same time, another pedestrian was hit near the entrance to I-440 East on Nolensville Pike.
A witness found the man lying on the sidewalk. Before he was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, he told the witness a vehicle had hit him. He later died from his injuries.
The driver in this crash also fled the scene.
What People Are Saying
The Nashville visitor community is shaken up — and frustrated.
One local posted in a Nashville Facebook group about watching tourists downtown flip off drivers after walking into traffic when it wasn't their turn. The timing couldn't be worse, coming right after these two deaths.
People who live here see it constantly. Tourists stepping into crosswalks without waiting for the walk signal. Groups crossing against the light and getting angry when cars honk. Pedestrians staring at their phones while wandering into traffic.
One person who works downtown put it bluntly: “People think pedestrians have the right of way wherever, whenever, and that's not the case.”
The Crosswalk Confusion
Here's something visitors need to know: Nashville's downtown crosswalk system is different from what you might be used to.
Many intersections now use an “all or nothing” pattern. All the pedestrian signals turn to “walk” at the same time — including diagonal crossing — while ALL traffic stops. No cars moving, no cars turning.
But not every intersection works this way. Some still use traditional signals where you wait for your specific crossing direction.
One visitor from New York mentioned how confusing it was — the light said to turn while also telling pedestrians to walk, then both signals turned red at the same time.
The signage isn't consistent across all intersections, which creates genuine confusion for people who don't know the area.
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Read more →It's Not Always the Pedestrian's Fault
Let's be clear about something important: Afriye Seegars did nothing wrong.
She was standing on the sidewalk. She was waiting for her ride. She wasn't jaywalking or ignoring signals or playing chicken with traffic.
A driver made the choice to speed, lost control, and drove onto the sidewalk where people were supposed to be safe.
Several people in the Facebook comments pointed this out. You can follow every rule, stay completely out of the road, and still be at risk from reckless drivers.
And it's not just pedestrians making mistakes. Drivers run red lights to make left turns. Cars turning right don't stop for pedestrians who have the walk signal. Taxis blow through crosswalks.
One person described nearly getting hit while crossing WITH a walk sign because a taxi ran a red light to turn left.
The Drinking Factor
Multiple people mentioned the role alcohol plays in these crashes.
One comment called downtown “a drunkard's paradise.” Another talked about “alcohol infused with entitlement.”
When you mix heavy drinking with unfamiliar streets, confusing signals, and crowds of people, bad things happen. Both to people walking and people driving.
Someone who rode an Uber downtown on New Year's Eve said the driver told them about seeing multiple close calls throughout the night.
What Drivers Need to Know
If you're driving downtown, you need to be extra careful.
People WILL step into the street without looking. They will ignore signals. They will assume you'll stop for them.
That doesn't give you the right to hit them, but it does mean you need to drive defensively. Watch for people who might dart out between parked cars. Slow down even when you have a green light.
And if you're turning right, remember that pedestrians with a walk signal have the right to cross before you turn.
What Pedestrians Need to Know
Your mom was right about looking both ways before crossing the street.
Yes, drivers should stop for you. Yes, you might legally have the right of way. But as one person in the comments said: “that doesn't guarantee they will.”
A car will always win that fight.
Wait for the walk signal. Make eye contact with drivers before you step into the street. Put your phone down and pay attention.
Don't stand right up on the curb while you're waiting — give yourself some space from traffic.
And if your Uber can't pull up right in front of where you are, make them come to you. It's their convenience versus your life.
The Bigger Problem
Nashville has a serious pedestrian safety problem.
People mentioned getting killed “almost every weekend” in car versus pedestrian crashes. The hit-and-run numbers are terrible. Some areas of the city are genuinely dangerous for people on foot.
One suggestion that came up: close downtown to traffic after a certain time, like New Orleans does in the French Quarter.
That won't solve everything, but it might help during the busiest, most chaotic hours when people have been drinking and judgment gets cloudy.
If You're Visiting Nashville
You need to know that Nashville traffic is not like other cities.
Drivers here can be aggressive. Road rage is real, and yes, a lot of people carry guns. You don't want to test someone who's had too much to drink and is already angry about traffic.
The crosswalk signals are confusing even for locals. When in doubt, wait. Watch what other pedestrians are doing. Look for the actual “walk” graphic, not just red lights.
And remember: even on the sidewalk, you're not completely safe. Stay alert. Don't assume drivers will do what they're supposed to do.
The Investigation Continues
Police are still looking for the drivers in both hit-and-runs.
If you were downtown early on New Year's Day and saw a red or maroon car, possibly a Ford Mustang, in the Hermitage Avenue area around 1:30 a.m., contact Nashville police.
The same goes for anyone who saw the crash on Nolensville Pike near the I-440 entrance.
Two families are grieving right now. One person is fighting for their life in the hospital. And two drivers are out there somewhere who made the choice to run instead of staying to face what they did.
