Police said the delivery driver intentionally struck the closed grocery store, causing more than $250,000 in damage but no reported injuries.
NASHVILLE, TN — A tractor-trailer driver was arrested after police said he intentionally drove a delivery truck through the front of an Aldi grocery store in East Nashville early Thursday, causing more than $250,000 in damage while the business was closed.
Metro Nashville police identified the driver as 34-year-old Kristofer Scruggs. He was charged with felony vandalism after the Sept. 17 crash at the Aldi on Gallatin Avenue. Police and emergency crews responded shortly after midnight and found the tractor-trailer had gone through the store’s front entrance. No customers or employees were inside, and no injuries were reported.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by local news organizations, Scruggs told officers that he intentionally drove the truck and trailer into the building. The truck was carrying groceries that were supposed to be delivered to the same Aldi location. Authorities estimated the damage at more than $250,000.
Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed the tractor-trailer entering the parking lot and remaining there for several minutes before returning to Gallatin Avenue, according to reports citing police and court records. The truck then came back toward the property and accelerated into the storefront. Police have not announced a broader motive for the crash.
Officers reported that Scruggs denied having suicidal or homicidal thoughts and showed no signs of impairment, according to the affidavit cited by NewsChannel 5. Those observations were included in the initial investigation but do not establish why the crash occurred. Scruggs was taken into custody at the scene and booked on the vandalism charge.
WSMV reported that Scruggs’ bond was set at $35,000. The criminal charge is an allegation, and the case had not been resolved as of Saturday. Authorities have not publicly announced additional charges connected with the crash.
The damage temporarily shut down a grocery store used by residents in the East Nashville neighborhood. WPLN reported that customers who regularly shop at the Gallatin Avenue Aldi were concerned about how long the closure could last. Aldi said in a statement reported by WSMV that it planned to reopen the location after the damage was assessed and the building was considered safe.
The crash left extensive visible damage to the front of the building, with the tractor portion of the rig reaching inside the store. Because the Aldi was closed at the time, the incident did not result in the injuries that could have occurred during normal business hours. Police have continued to describe the collision as intentional based on Scruggs’ reported statement and the surveillance footage.
The investigation remains ongoing. A reopening date for the East Nashville Aldi had not been announced in the reports reviewed, and authorities had not released further information explaining what led to the incident.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.