NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Community members will gather Saturday night for a candlelight vigil to remember Afriye Seegars, a beloved drag entertainer known on stage as Smooth Sexton, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver on New Year's Day in South Nashville.
The vigil will be held at 7 p.m. in the parking lot of Pecker's Bar and Grill, where the deadly crash occurred. A growing memorial has formed outside the establishment, showing the impact Seegars made on the community.
Seegars was helping a friend into a rideshare when a car jumped the curb and struck them both on the sidewalk. Despite witnesses performing CPR, Seegars died from injuries sustained in the crash. The friend, Angel, was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The driver fled the scene.
Police have not found the driver, who is believed to have been in a red or maroon car. The case remains an open investigation.
This tragedy highlights a continuing problem in Nashville. According to Metro Police data, there were 25 total fatal pedestrian crashes in 2025, down from 33 in 2024. However, four of those cases remain open hit-and-run investigations.
The unsolved 2025 hit-and-run cases include Kirk and Kathy Granfors on April 4, Robert Jones on April 4, Julie Savoy on July 16, and Robert E. Powell on October 18. An arrest was made in the Granfors case, but it remains open.
So far in 2026, there have been two deadly hit-and-run crashes where officers are still looking for the drivers. Seegars was killed on Hermitage Avenue, and Jessie King was killed on Nolensville Pike, both on New Year's Day. There was an additional fatal pedestrian crash on January 4 on I-65 North, resulting in the death of Brett Davis, but the 19-year-old driver remained at the scene.
Anyone with information about the crash that killed Seegars is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME.
Watch our full coverage of tonight's vigil and learn more about Nashville's ongoing hit-and-run problem. Have information about pedestrian safety concerns in your neighborhood? Share your story with us at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com.
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