ZACKARY TYLER CHATMAN.jpg mug shot

Zachary Tyler Chatman

 WCSO

A single-vehicle crash in Franklin killed a man early Wednesday morning, and charges are pending against the driver.

Around 2 a.m., Williamson County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop a speeding Toyota Camry traveling southbound on Interstate 65 “at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour.”

That car, driven by 20-year-old Zachary Tyler Chatman, exited onto Murfreesboro Road and then onto 3rd Avenue South. Around 2:22 a.m. the car went off the road and crashed into a utility pole at South Margin Street, ending the pursuit.

The passenger, 42-year-old Kevin Ray House, was killed in the crash while Chatman was transported to a local hospital with unspecified injuries. Both men were wearing seatbelts.

A Tennessee Highway Patrol preliminary crash report only lists the men as Tennessee residents, and states that Chatman is facing vehicle homicide, evading arrest and reckless driving charges.

According to the affidavit filed in a Williamson County General Sessions Court, Chatman was being pursued by a WCSO deputy and lieutenant after Chatman passed the deputy on Interstate 65 at 97 mph.

The deputy’s patrol vehicle “malfunctioned” when the pursuit continued onto Murfreesboro Road, at which point the lieutenant joined the chase.

The deputy reported in the affidavit that Chatman was “alert” following the crash, and that he “observed a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Mr. Chatman's person, he had blood shot watery eyes, and slurred speech.” Deputies were granted a search warrant for a blood sample from Chatman at the hospital following his extrication from the car. House was “unresponsive” and pronounced dead at the scene.

20-year-old Chatman, of Franklin, was charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, evading arrest with risk of death or injury, reckless driving and speeding. He was released on a $70,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 3.

The crash caused a closure of the intersection for several hours while police worked the scene and utility crews replaced the damaged pole.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident,” Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Hughes said in a news release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of those affected.”