Former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan was arrested in Nashville on Wednesday after allegedly running over two pedestrians' feet with his pickup truck and driving away, police said.
Ryan, 63, surrendered to authorities on Wednesday morning and was booked into the Davidson County Jail on misdemeanor charges, Metro Nashville Police said in a statement obtained by The Tennessean. He faces two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information or render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal.
According to police, the incident happened shortly before midnight on November 5 in downtown Nashville. The two pedestrians had a walk sign as they crossed Broadway from 4th Avenue when a truck turned right and ran over both victims' feet and one of their legs.
The pedestrians told police the vehicle kept going but stopped at a red light at Broadway and Representative John Lewis Way, where they waved the driver down. "They said he stepped out of the truck to argue with them, got back in, and drove away," police said. The pedestrians photographed the truck's license plate, which police said is registered to Ryan, as well as the driver, who police allege was Ryan.
Ryan's bond was set at $6,000, and he was released from custody shortly after being booked. He is scheduled to appear in a Nashville courtroom on December 18. ESPN said in a statement: "We are aware and are in touch with Rex." The network has not announced any change to his television assignments.
The son of legendary defensive coach Buddy Ryan, Rex Ryan was head coach of the New York Jets from 2009 to 2014, leading the team to back-to-back AFC championship games in his first two seasons, and coached the Buffalo Bills for two seasons. He has been an analyst for ESPN since 2016 and appears on "Sunday NFL Countdown." The charges are allegations, and Ryan has not been convicted of any offense in the case.
