Update, July 5: The Metro Nashville Police Department has confirmed that Matthew Carney died from his injuries July 4 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was 42 years old. An arrest related to the hit-and-run has still not been made, though anyone with details related to the incident is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
On Wednesday, June 19, restaurant owner Matthew Carney was struck by an unknown individual driving an older black pickup truck in the back parking lot of Carney's Smokin’ Thighs restaurant at 611 Wedgewood Ave. The driver sped away from the accident, leaving Carney critically injured. The circumstances of the incident are suspicious — Carney was preparing to leave work and was found with his own vehicle still running in the parking lot.
Carney has been a frequent subject here on Bites since way back when he was still operating his business out of a food truck to when he first opened his bricks-and-mortar restaurant almost a decade ago. An affable operator who made a big investment in the up-and-coming Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood long before the recent surge in dining opportunities, Carney has been a quiet force in the development of that strip of road near Geodis Park and The Fairgrounds Nashville.
Since the accident, Carney has been slowly and steadily recovering at Vanderbilt Medical Center after being discovered in the parking lot by a restaurant staff member. Still in extremely critical condition after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, Carney still depends on external ventilation through a tube to assist with breathing, and doctors are closely monitoring his brain activity.
Friends, family and customers have quickly mobilized to assist Matthew, his wife Molly and his business, which has bravely remained in operation since the accident. In addition to a GoFund Me campaign that has already raised more than $30,000 to assist with medical expenses, a meal train has been organized to relieve Molly of the burden of thinking about food while she spends bedside time with her husband.
In addition to the ongoing police investigation, a group of local businesses are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator, who was last seen driving a 1980s- to early-2000s model black pickup truck fleeing the scene down Bransford Avenue. Anyone with information about the driver and/or the pickup truck is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward in addition to the $10,000 from the business community.
Robert Young, a former police officer and friend of the restaurant, has also undertaken his own investigation, interviewing potential witnesses, gathering data from the scene, working with the police, talking to neighbors and speaking with media to spread the search for any clues that might lead to the arrest of the offending driver.
Above all else, the Carney family asks for your supportive prayers — and for diners to keep patronizing the restaurant as medical bills continue to mount. Matthew is one of the good ones, an entrepreneur who has worked hard to develop his small business, which provides employment for a sizable group of people. Anything you can do to help out would certainly be appreciated.
