NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The owner of Smokin Thighs — who was the victim of a hit-and-run — died Thursday after succumbing to his injuries.
Friends who ran Matthew Carney's CaringBridge page for his family announced his death. Police said the hit-and-run happened June 19 and critically injured Carney, 42, outside of his eatery on Wedgewood Avenue. Carney was hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Officers weren't able to interview him due to his medical condition.
Watch the surveillance video in the player above.
"No words describe the loss that Molly and his family are feeling right now," his friends wrote. "For us, his friends, we are in shock. Our fervent prayer and belief were that Matt would recover and this would just be a ‘story’ in his past he would have told tales about. To know Matt is to know how full of life he was. His determination, passion, and sense of humor will be missed in ways we have yet to understand."
Last week, Metro police released a video of what could be the type of vehicle involved in the hit-and-run of a Nashville restaurant owner. The video shows the truck is a gray and silver Nissan Fronter with black rims. Its year model is 2001-2004.
The pickup truck came from the rear of Smokin Thighs shortly before 6 p.m. at a high rate of speed, police said. Carney was thrown off the vehicle onto the Wedgewood Avenue pavement. The truck is then believed to have turned right onto nearby Bransford Avenue.
Carney’s vehicle was parked in the rear of the restaurant, police said. It was found running with the door open. It has not been determined what occurred in the rear parking lot between Carney and the unknown driver of the pickup truck.
Anyone with information about the driver and/or the vehicle is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Reward money totaling more than $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the driver.
How to help the Carney family
His friends said to Matt’s restaurant, Smokin Thighs, at 611 Wedgewood Ave, order food to support Matt’s business.
There is also GoFundMe page to support his family as they navigate everything coming their way.
You can also help through the Meal Train or by sending an UberEats gift card. A gift card can be purchased through your personal Uber or Uber Eats app (click Account, Send a Gift, Shop Gift Cards).
Those can be sent to careforMatt@bhcinvestments.com, and we will send those gifts and messages to his family.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
