NASHVILLE, TN — An 87-year-old Kentucky man has been charged in the Lower Broadway crash that killed one pedestrian and injured three others during a busy August afternoon in Nashville. Police say Thomas Cahill of Bowling Green is facing four misdemeanor citations tied to the collision at Fourth Avenue and Broadway.
Investigators said Cahill was driving south on Fourth Avenue North in a Ford Fusion when he stopped at the intersection. The traffic light was red for his direction, while pedestrians had the walk signal to cross Broadway. Police said he then pressed the accelerator for an unknown reason, drove into the intersection, and hit the pedestrians.
Police say the driver accelerated through a red light at Fourth Avenue and Broadway
Nashville police said the crash happened Aug. 1 at one of downtown’s busiest crossings. According to investigators, Cahill’s car was stopped before the intersection when the light was red, but the vehicle moved forward after he accelerated instead of remaining behind the signal.
Police said the car struck pedestrians who were lawfully crossing Broadway on the walk signal. After the impact, Cahill brought the vehicle to a controlled stop on Fourth Avenue South and exited on his own, according to investigators.
Authorities have not said why he accelerated. Cahill later told officers he does not remember what happened, which leaves a key part of the sequence still unexplained as the case moves through the courts.
One visitor from Australia died and three other pedestrians were hurt
The pedestrian who died was Timothy Wedlock, 58, who was visiting Nashville from Australia. His death turned the crash into a fatal case and added to the attention on a street corner already known for heavy foot traffic and nightlife crowds.
Three other pedestrians were injured in the collision. Two of them remained hospitalized after the crash: Matthew Gregg, 44, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Dianne Cooper, 58, of Parsons, Tennessee. Kathleen Broderick, 21, of Knoxville, was released from the hospital Aug. 2.
Police have not released additional details about the extent of the injuries beyond describing them as serious in the citations filed against Cahill.
Cahill was taken to Vanderbilt and later released after the crash
After the collision, Cahill was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Police said he was released a few days later. His booking date has been set for Oct. 1.
Officials said they consulted with the District Attorney’s Office before issuing four misdemeanor citations Thursday night. Cahill is charged with one count of failure to yield resulting in death and three counts of failure to yield resulting in serious injury.
The citations reflect the number of people harmed in the crash. The legal case now centers on what happened in the split second when the car moved into the crosswalk after stopping for the red light.
Lower Broadway intersection remains a high-traffic area for pedestrians and drivers
The crash took place at Fourth Avenue and Broadway, a section of downtown Nashville that draws large numbers of pedestrians, visitors and drivers throughout the day and night. The area’s heavy foot traffic means any collision there can quickly become a major public safety incident.
In this case, investigators said pedestrians were crossing with the walk signal when the Ford Fusion entered the intersection. That detail is central to the charges because police say Cahill failed to yield to people who had the right of way.
For now, police have described the event as an unexplained acceleration through a red light. The court process will determine how the charges are handled and what additional facts, if any, emerge about the moments before the crash.
What the charges mean as the case moves toward an October booking date
Cahill’s four citations are misdemeanors, but they are tied directly to the death of Wedlock and the serious injuries to the other pedestrians. The charges underscore how Tennessee law treats failure-to-yield cases when a collision causes fatal or major harm.
His Oct. 1 booking date is the next public step listed in the case. Until then, the available facts remain focused on the police reconstruction: a stopped vehicle, a red light, a sudden acceleration, and pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Authorities have not announced any additional charges or said whether further review is expected. For the families and victims involved, the case now moves from the crash scene into the legal system.
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