Marshall Neely, III, Hit & Run, Tennessee 2017

Marshall Neely, III, 58, of Franklin, Tennessee, is facing federal charges after allegedly hitting a bicyclist on the Natchez Trace Parkway and fleeing the scene.

According to the indictment, on July 8, 2017, Neely struck a bicyclist from behind with his black Volvo, causing the bicyclist to be thrown from his bike and sustaining injuries. Despite the impact, Neely did not stop or slow down, but instead continued driving.

The incident was captured on video by a helmet-mounted camera worn by another bicyclist. The video was later posted online and used to identify the owner of the vehicle as Neely. His son reported the incident to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, stating that the vehicle belonged to his father and mentioned the ‘Dartmouth,’ ‘Rice,’ and ‘Boston’ stickers on the back windshield.

When law enforcement officers arrived at Neely’s home, they found the Volvo parked in the grass behind the garage with the ‘Dartmouth’ and ‘Rice’ stickers removed. Residue from a cleaning agent was visible on the right front of the vehicle where it had struck the bicyclist.

Neely was found unconscious on the floor of his home and later claimed that the bicyclist had thrown his bike at him. He also admitted to removing the stickers from his vehicle to prevent identification.

Neely was arrested by U.S. National Park Service Rangers and is set to appear before a U.S. Magistrate later today. If convicted, he faces 2-12 years in prison for reckless aggravated assault, up to 5 years for lying to a federal agent, and up to 20 years for obstructing justice.

The case was investigated by the National Park Service and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith stated, ‘Middle Tennessee is an area where bicycle traffic is abundant and growing daily. Our roads are used both by recreational bicyclists as well as a growing number of citizens who use alternative methods of transportation to get to and from their workplaces.’

Smith continued, ‘To achieve the sense of community that we all want for our area, we must respect the rights of others in our community to live and move about the area.’ He emphasized that drivers and bicyclists must respect each other’s rights on the roads.

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