Country singer Conner Smith strikes and kills pedestrian, 77, in alleged crash, police say
- Police say country music singer Conner Smith, 24, was driving a pickup truck that struck and killed a pedestrian in Nashville.
- Dorothy Dobbins, 77, was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk when she was struck.
- Police say a preliminary investigation indicates Smith's failure to yield was a contributing factor, but he showed no signs of impairment.
Country music performer Conner Smith was the driver in a fatal crash involving a pedestrian in Nashville Sunday evening, police said.
Dorothy Dobbins, 77, was crossing the street at a crosswalk when she was struck. "The preliminary investigation indicates that a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, driven by Conner Smith, 24, was traveling north on 3rd Avenue North as Dobbins was crossing the roadway," the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release.
Police said Dobbins appeared to be "inside a marked crosswalk when she was struck around 7:30 p.m." on June 8. Police added the crash's preliminary contributing factor "appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian." Smith "showed no signs of impairment. There are no charges at present as the investigation continues."
Dobbins, "who lived nearby, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died," the news release said.
Smith's attorney, Worrick G. Robinson, issued a statement to The Nashville Tennessean, part of the Paste BN Network: "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."
Conner Smith's music career included viral TikTok fame
Nashville-born Smith is signed to Big Machine's The Valory Music Co. label. He's been affiliated with the imprint since October 2019.
In late 2021, Smith released "I Hate Alabama," which became a viral TikTok favorite.
He's released two EPs and a debut album, "Smoky Mountains," in January 2024. That recording contained a gold-selling top-20 radio hit, "Creek Will Rise."
Smith was nominated for new male artist of the year at the 2024 ACM Awards and was slated to be a special guest on dates of Luke Bryan's 2025 Country Song Came On Tour.
The fatal incident occurred on the final day of 2025's CMA Fest. There, a day prior, he'd made a 1:30 p.m. appearance on the Chevy Riverfront Stage. Days before that, he was a guest at the Folds of Honor military charity softball game at Nashville's First Horizon Park.