Friend said hit and run victim was loved by the community
Justin Fortner died after his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle while entering Briley Parkway North from Interstate 40 West.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Friends of Justin Fortner said Friday he was a light in their community.
Fortner died after a hit and run crash on Thursday night on the Interstate 40 West ramp onto Briley Parkway North. Pieces of a motorcycle are all that are left after a crash Alex Bolling said took the life of a man so many knew and loved.
“I woke up to one of our employees that actually told me the news, and I was, of course, heartbroken,” Bolling said.
Metro Nashville Police said it happened when a group of people on motorcycles were riding on I-40. A witness told officers the motorcycles were being followed by a friend in a Buick Enclave acting as a buffer between them and other cars.
Police were told the motorcycle riders tried to exit onto Briley Parkway north when a truck, possibly a semi, sped around the buffer car and hit Fortner, 35, on his motorcycle.
“I’ve heard it was a hit and run. I don’t know what’s going on,” Bolling said.
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The driver of the Enclave told police the truck that hit Fortner never slowed down, speeding down Briley Parkway and leaving many devastated.
“I just know he’s gone,” Bolling said.
She said that the world has lost a light in Fortner.
“He was more like family to everybody than a friend. He was just the life of the party,” Bolling said. “Honestly, he was like my big brother, a big brother is what I feel that I lost.”
Bolling said he would give just about anyone the shirt on his back and was taken away far too soon.
“Everybody should be praying for his wife and those kids,” Bolling said.
Police said the Enclave had damage from hitting Fortner’s motorcycle after the crash, so officers are investigating the story while looking for the truck driver who sped off.
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