Witness: Rob Bironas chased truck

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- FormerTitanskicker Rob Bironas was involved in two separate cases of road rage the night of his fatal SUV crash, people involved in the incidents have alleged.

In a 911 call obtained Monday by several media outlets, a woman told the dispatcher that Bironas was driving erratically just before the Saturday night crash.

The woman said neither she nor her husband recognized the man who drove up behind them. She said he pulled his SUV up beside their vehicle and gave them a look before speeding away. The woman told the dispatcher that the man was dangerous and police needed to know something was wrong with him.

"We let him go on past us because he was trying to run me off the road and we don't know who he was," the woman told the dispatcher.

In additon, a Belmont University student told the Tennessean newspaper that he was in a pickup truck that Bironas attempted to hit that night. The student, Connor Fraley, was a passenger in a vehicle driving behind Bironas' SUV when he, along with three others in the truck, noticed a burning smell coming from ahead.

"His window was down, and we pulled up and I said, 'Hey man, just a heads up, something's burning from your exhaust. Your exhaust smells horrible, just wanted to let you know,'' Fraley told the newspaper. "He looked over at me and said, 'I'm going to kill everybody in your (expletive) vehicle. It was so random, so bizarre I was like, 'What?' And he said the exact same thing again."

Fraley said Bironas tried to follow the truck as it sped away and "he tried to sideswipe the vehicle and missed us by a foot."

"It was a fight or flight situation and, unfortunately, we had to take flight at about 110 mph," he told the newspaper. "It was very scary."

The Tennessean also reported Monday night that Bironas' wife reported him missing to police Saturday night.

A Metro Nashville Police spokesman says the accident investigation is ongoing. An autopsy was performed.

Police said Bironas, 36, was speeding when he lost control in a curve and that there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs at the scene.

The Titans released Bironas in March after nine seasons. Bironas worked out for Tampa Bay during the offseason and worked out last week for the Detroit Lions, who announced Monday that they plan to sign former Eagles kicker Alex Henery.

Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, in June.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

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