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Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-213

Vehicular homicide

Applied in 14 court decisions — leading case State v. Braden (1993)

Most recently applied in United States v. Bryce Axline (February 2024)

Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; T.C.A., § 39-13-209; Acts 1990, ch. 1038, § 4; 1995, ch. 415, § 1; 2006, ch. 971, §§ 2, 3; 2010, ch. 1120, §§ 2, 3; 2013, ch. 154, § 50; 2015, ch. 125, …

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Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(1) Vehicular homicide is the reckless killing of another by the operation of an automobile, airplane, motorboat or other motor vehicle, as the proximate result of: Conduct creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to a person;

(2) The driver's intoxication, as set forth in § 55-10-401. For the purposes of this section, “intoxication” includes alcohol intoxication as defined by § 55-10-411(a), drug intoxication, or both;

(3) As the proximate result of conduct constituting the offense of drag racing as prohibited by title 55, chapter 10, part 5; or

(4) The driver's conduct in a posted construction zone where the person killed was an employee of the department of transportation or a highway construction worker.

(5) Vehicular homicide under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(3) is a Class C felony.

(6) Vehicular homicide under subdivision (a)(2) is a Class B felony.

(7) Any sentence imposed for a first violation of subdivision (a)(2) shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of forty-eight (48) consecutive hours of incarceration. The person shall not be eligible for release from confinement on probation pursuant to § 40-35-303 until the person has served the entire forty-eight-hour minimum mandatory sentence.

(8) If at the time of sentencing for a violation of subdivision (a)(2), the person has one (1) prior conviction for an alcohol-related offense, any sentence imposed by the judge shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of forty-five (45) consecutive days of incarceration. The person shall not be eligible for release from confinement on probation pursuant to § 40-35-303 until the person has served the entire forty-five-day minimum mandatory sentence.

(9) If at the time of sentencing for a violation of subdivision (a)(2), the person has any combination of two (2) prior convictions for an alcohol-related offense, any sentence imposed by the judge shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of one hundred twenty (120) consecutive days of incarceration. The person shall not be eligible for release from confinement on probation pursuant to § 40-35-303 until the person has served the entire one hundred twenty-day mandatory minimum sentence.

(10) If at the time of sentencing for a violation of subdivision (a)(2), the person has any combination of three (3) or more prior convictions for an alcohol-related offense, any sentence imposed by the judge shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of one hundred fifty (150) consecutive days of incarceration. The person shall not be eligible for release from confinement on probation pursuant to § 40-35-303 until the person has served the entire one hundred fifty-day mandatory minimum sentence.

(11) As used in this subdivision (b)(2), “alcohol-related offense” means a conviction for a violation of subdivision (a)(2), § 55-10-401, § 39-13-106, or § 39-13-218.

(12) For purposes of sentencing under this subdivision (b)(2), a prior conviction for an alcohol-related offense may be used to enhance the mandatory minimum sentence regardless of whether it occurred before or after July 1, 2015, as long as the violation of this section occurs on or after July 1, 2015.

(13) Vehicular homicide under subdivision (a)(4) is a Class D felony.

(14) The court shall prohibit a defendant convicted of vehicular homicide from driving a vehicle in this state for a period of time not less than three (3) years nor more than ten (10) years.

Current official text: Tennessee Code (LexisNexis). Digitized from the UniCourt Code Improvement Commission public-domain capture. Reproduced from public-domain Tennessee statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.