Community remembers woman killed while walking dog in Germantown

Yahoo

11-06-2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Community members are mourning the loss of a woman killed while walking along a crosswalk in Germantown Sunday evening.
The community is mourning the loss of Dorothy 'Dot' Dobbins, who was killed by a driver while walking on a 3rd Avenue North crosswalk Sunday evening. On Tuesday afternoon, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure installed new pedestrian placards reminding drivers to yield to pedestrians.
ORIGINAL STORY: Woman dead after being hit by vehicle while walking dog in Germantown
'A bunch of us reacted this morning to a report in the paper that described her as an elderly, old woman. That was not Dot Dobbins,' longtime friend and colleague Irwin Venick said. 'Dot was 77 years old, but she was active and engaged in work that she loved.'
Venick met Dobbins at Vanderbilt Law School in 1971. She would go on to have a respected career in family law, and also join the local Lawyers' Association for Women. She was best known for her work as part of the the Alternatives to Violence Project.
'She's traveled the world. She's engaged with all sorts of groups encouraging people to talk, to engage [and] to reduce violence in their lives,' Venick said. 'So between that, her family, and Germantown Commons, and Quaker meetings, she has had a very active and full life.'
Perhaps drivers taking a more 'peaceful' approach as they cross is a small part of the bigger legacy Dobbins leaves behind.
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'Emails have been flowing around ever since Monday — people expressing shock over Dot's loss, and she leaves a major hole in the hearts of many,' Venick said.
As of publication, no charges have been filed.
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