NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville woman is turning her grief into advocacy after a hit-and-run crash killed her brother on Lafayette Street, a corridor that saw three pedestrian deaths within a single week earlier this year.
Clarice Wilson's brother, Ronnie "Tony" Wilson, was crossing Lafayette Street near Fairfield Avenue on March 27 when police said a Mercedes SUV struck him and fled the scene. He later died from his injuries.
"But we have questions, you know, as far as why didn't you stop?" Wilson said. "Like, if he would have stopped, could they have saved my brother?"
Wilson remembers speaking to her brother in the hospital after the crash.
"I said, 'Tony, it's me, your sister. Wiggle your toes,'" she said. "He started to wiggle his toes. He started to move his limbs. But it just wasn't enough to keep him here."
In May, Metro Nashville police arrested a 27-year-old suspect in connection with the fatal hit-and-run. But for Wilson, the pain extends beyond an arrest.
Just days after her brother's death, two more pedestrians were killed along the same stretch of roadway.
"Three deaths in a week is a lot," Wilson said. "It's a whole lot. And it's a whole lot to digest. And we're left to bury our loved one."
The deaths have renewed scrutiny on Lafayette Road and Murfreesboro Pike, which are part of Nashville's High Injury Network — roadways identified by the city as having a disproportionate number of severe and fatal crashes and prioritized for safety improvements.
Metro Council is now considering a resolution urging city leaders to renew and accelerate Nashville's Vision Zero initiative, the city's commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
The resolution warns that 2026 is on track to become one of the deadliest years in a decade for pedestrians and cyclists. According to council documents, 20 pedestrian and cyclist deaths have already been recorded this year — four times the pace seen during the same period in 2025.
The current Vision Zero five-year plan expires in 2027, and council members are pushing for safety improvements before then.
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure said several projects are already underway along the Lafayette corridor.
Those efforts include installing additional pedestrian-scale lighting and overhead lighting near Fairfield Avenue to improve crosswalk visibility, with completion expected this summer. NDOT is also working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation during ongoing repaving work to ensure crosswalks and stop bars are restriped with high-visibility markings.
The department is also moving forward with plans to add a buffer between a section of sidewalk and the roadway near Fairfield Avenue, a known high-injury intersection. That project is also expected to be completed this summer.
In addition, NDOT is evaluating whether speed limits along the corridor should be lowered to better reflect the surrounding residential and commercial development. Any proposed changes would require approval from the Traffic and Parking Commission.
"Nashville is committed to Vision Zero," the department said in a statement. "As a Vision Zero city, our goal is to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries, understanding that one death on our roadways is one too many."
The city is also in the process of hiring a Vision Zero program manager to help prioritize projects, oversee implementation and update the city's safety plan. Officials said they hope that work will begin within the next few months.
Wilson said she hopes city leaders move quickly.
"I'm hoping that they really do something about it," she said.
She also has a message for drivers.
"Yeah, just stop. Slow down. Look at my brother. Look at the other two people that passed away. Slow down," Wilson said.
For Wilson, speaking out has become a way to honor her brother's memory and advocate for others affected by traffic violence.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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