ESPN plans to have former NFL head coach and analyst Rex Ryan appear on its Sunday pregame programming despite his arrest over an alleged hit-and-run in Nashville. Ryan was arrested on Nov. 11 in connection with an incident involving two pedestrians the previous week.
The network said Ryan was expected to appear as scheduled, including on *Sunday NFL Countdown*. It was not believed that he would discuss the case during the broadcast. ESPN also said it was aware of the incident and was in contact with Ryan.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the incident happened shortly before midnight on Nov. 5. Ryan was allegedly turning right from 4th Avenue as two pedestrians crossed Broadway from 4th Avenue with the walk signal. Police said the truck ran over the pedestrians’ feet and made contact with one person’s leg.
The pedestrians told police that the vehicle continued moving before stopping at a red light at Broadway and Representative John Lewis Way. They said they approached the driver, who got out of the truck and argued with them, then returned to the vehicle and drove away.
The pedestrians were identified as Michael Holland, an attorney, and his wife. They reportedly photographed the truck’s license plate before Ryan left. Holland also said Ryan gave them his name, which helped them identify him when they later contacted police.
Ryan, 63, turned himself in to authorities, according to reports. He faces six misdemeanor warrants: two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failing to provide information or render aid, and two counts of failing to obey a traffic-control signal. The police had not yet reviewed the incident footage at the time of the reports.
Ryan’s Nashville attorneys, David and Ben Raybin, said he surrendered after learning about the misdemeanor charges and was released without being required to post bond. They also said he had cooperated with law enforcement and intended to continue doing so. Because the case was in its early stages, the attorneys said they had limited information about the allegations and planned to investigate the matter through the legal process.
Ryan’s bond was set at $6,000. The victims have also described the incident and the injuries they said they sustained.
## Victims Describe the Nashville Incident
Holland said he and his wife were walking with a green signal when the truck struck them. He described the vehicle as weighing more than 6,000 pounds and said the incident could have caused more serious injuries if they had been standing slightly farther into the street.
“If we had been six inches further out, I’d be in a hospital right now and so would my wife,” Holland said.
He said the truck ran over their feet and that they lost some of their toenails. He also said his wife’s leg was scraped. Holland described the experience as shocking and frightening, and said he worried that the driver could injure someone else.
Holland also said he noticed the truck’s New York license plate, which read “HIT QBS,” and photographed it before calling police. He said he took the picture because he believed the driver might hurt somebody.
The allegations have not been resolved in court. Ryan’s attorneys said he would cooperate as the case proceeds, while police investigate the reported incident. ESPN’s stated plan, as of Saturday night, was for Ryan to appear on *Sunday NFL Countdown* as scheduled.
