NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former NFL coach Rex Ryan turned himself in Wednesday for allegedly hitting pedestrians with his car in Nashville and leaving the scene, police said.
Two pedestrians had the right of way crossing a main street in downtown Nashville's popular tourist area last week when Ryan allegedly turned at a red light, running over the victims' feet, Nashville police said Wednesday. They suffered minor injuries, police said.
Ryan, an ESPN
analyst, was charged with 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 court records, which did not identify an attorney for Ryan. All are misdemeanors. A judicial commissioner set Ryan’s bond at $6,000.
He was granted pretrial release Wednesday morning. Ryan is scheduled to appear in court next month.
Ryan is a former head coach of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in consecutive years after the 2009 and 2010 seasons. His father, the late Buddy Ryan, was an NFL coaching legend who famously coordinated the 1985 Chicago Bears defense that was one of the best in history.
Since leaving coaching, Ryan is best known for his work at ESPN as one of the analysts on the network’s NFL pregame show.
“We are aware and are in touch with Rex,” ESPN said in a statement Wednesday. Ryan appeared Monday on “Get Up,” a morning ESPN show taped in New York.
A phone number believed to be Ryan’s had an automatic outgoing message, and a message could not be left.
___
Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
