Rising Country Singer Charged in Death of Elderly Nashville Woman

Just last month, Nashville welcomed thousands of country music fans to the CMA Fest. Offering four days of nothing but country music in the home of country music, the festival offered performances from top names like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Zach Top, and numerous others. While a moment of celebration, tragedy struck when Conner Smith was making his way through the city and accidentally struck an elderly woman trying to use a crosswalk, killing her. With an investigation underway, it appeared that the singer received a misdemeanor as a result. 

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On June 8th, as the CMA Fest was coming to a close, Smith traveled through the city in his Chevrolet Silverado when Dorothy Dobbins crossed the street. Using the designated crosswalk area, she was struck by Smith. While taken to the nearby Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dobbins ended up passing away. With the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department investigating the accident, the police claimed that Smith showed no signs of impairment at the time. 

[RELATED: Rising Country Singer Cancels Concert After Fatally Striking Woman With His Truck]

Conner Smith Issues Statement After Tragic Car Accident

While Smith walked away with a misdemeanor traffic offense, the singer’s lawyer, Worrick G. Robinson IV, released a statement on the singer’s behalf. “Conner is incredibly grateful to the MNPD for their time and efforts to carefully investigate this tragic accident and has continued to cooperate at all times.”

Although the investigation found there was no criminal intent when Smith accidentally struck Dobbins, the singer hoped to honor her memory while pushing for better safety standards for pedestrians in the city. “His thoughts remain with Ms. Dobbins’ family, and he remains committed to honoring her memory with compassion by supporting efforts to improve pedestrian safety and help prevent future tragedies.”

Throughout the investigation, officers found that Smith was not under the influence of alcohol or any substance. It also appeared that the singer never used his phone at the time. With only a misdemeanor issued, Smith hoped that the city would make improvements to the area to make sure a similar accident would never happen again.

(Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach)