Driver cited with misdemeanors for wreck that killed Mt. Juliet cyclist Alyssa Milligan

Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
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The driver of a pickup truck that hit and killed Mt. Juliet cyclist Alyssa Milligan in September in Nashville has been cited in the case.

A Maryville man, an off-duty Pigeon Forge police officer at the time of the wreck, was issued with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care citations, according to the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk’s office. Both citations are misdemeanors.

Milligan, 23, was riding with another cyclist on Highway 100 near Harpeth Trace Drive when she was hit by the passenger side of the man's Ford F-150 pickup truck, according to Nashville police.

Alyssa Milligan
Alyssa Milligan

Milligan was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

More: 'A sweet soul': Mt. Juliet woman, 23, killed in Nashville cycling crash

Nashville Police Department’s Traffic Division conducted an investigation and results were sent to the District Attorney’s office for review, police spokesperson Kristin Mumford said.

The driver did not show signs of impairment, police have said. He was not speeding nor was he using any electronic device that could be a distraction, according to his attorney Bryan Delius.

The driver told police he was attempting to change lanes, and after looking over his shoulder, Milligan was suddenly in front of him. Delius stated there was a group of cyclists, which the driver thought he had cleared when the wreck occurred. He attempted to render aid to Milligan after the wreck. according to Delius.

"He has been absolutely distraught as a result of the death of Miss Milligan," Delius said. "It’s clear from investigation that was done that this was an accident."

The driver has worked with the city of Pigeon Forge for an estimated 25 years or more, most of that time with the police department, according to Chief Richard Catlett.

“He’s been a stellar employee for us,” Catlett said. “It’s just a horrible thing he’s going through (as well) as that family and he understands … He’s struggling with it.”

Milligan was a student in Belmont’s graduate physical therapy program for one semester in the fall of 2022, according to a school official. Milligan had graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 2022, according to that school.

Milligan was with the Veloteers and Domestiques cycling clubs, friend and fellow cyclist Lise Matthews said. She was a fitness enthusiast who also ran and had started competing in triathlons, another friend Chris Ashton said.

Cyclists held a memorial ride in Milligan's memory days after the fatal wreck.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Driver cited in Nashville wreck that killed Mt. Juliet cyclist