CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The trial began Tuesday for a man charged with vehicular homicide in the 2021 wreck on Tiny Town Road that killed a 21-year-old woman and injured her infant son.
Around 8:30 a.m. on May 5, 2021, two SUVs collided near Tiny Town Road and Peachers Mill Road. Kaitlyn Harris was killed in the crash, and her 9-month-old son sustained non-lifethreatening injuries.
Zachary Michael Schunn, now 35, was charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication and DUI. He has pleaded not guilty.
Opening statements: Intoxication vs. sleepwalking
Prosecutor Nathaniel Sherman told jurors, “The defendant was drunk. He hit Katelyn Harris and he killed her.” Sherman said the evidence will show eyewitnesses saw Schunn driving recklessly that morning, and that his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit, leading to Harris’ death and her child’s injuries.
Defense attorney Chris Clark argued Schunn was not conscious at the time of the crash and was sleepwalking due to a prescribed dose of Ambien. Clark said Schunn struggled with insomnia and mental health issues, sought treatment, and had been prescribed the medication just days before the wreck. “Mr. Schunn never woke up until after this accident,” he said.
Husband testifies: ‘She was loving, selfless’
Lucas Harris, 26, testified about his wife and their son, who was injured in the crash. He said Harris was on her way to a kid-friendly workout class with their baby that morning. “She was taking our son to this workout group called SLAM … Sweat Like a Mother … mothers bring their children, the kids hang out in the park, and the mothers get a workout in,” he said.
“Katelyn was loving, selfless and she was just like a natural mother,” he said. He added that she had recently enrolled at Austin Peay State University to study computer science
Their son was in a rear-facing car seat at the time of the crash. Lucas became emotional describing his son’s condition afterward.
“When I arrived at the hospital, he was just lying on the table and he was crying,” he said. The infant had broken both legs and had to wear a cast from his chest to his ankles.
Bystanders describe reckless driving, rescue efforts
Eyewitnesses said Schunn was driving a silver SUV and wearing Army clothing.
Reginald Bailey, who lived near Tiny Town Road and was driving to a gym on Fort Campbell, said he saw a silver SUV swerving “in and out of traffic.” He was on the phone with 911 reporting the vehicle when the collision occurred.
“I got out of my car and immediately ran over to see what had happened to the individual who was struck,” he said.
Bailey said Harris was unconscious and trapped in her vehicle. He and other bystanders worked together to get the baby out while waiting for paramedics. His dashcam footage of the crash was shown to jurors, including audio of Bailey telling the 911 operator, “He has gotta be drunk. … He just hit someone head-on.”
Another witness, Ericka Hullett, said she was at the intersection near the Mapco gas station moments before the crash and saw an SUV driving “quite a bit erratically.” She was behind Harris’ vehicle when the collision happened.
Through tears, she told jurors she wanted to help but could not leave her young daughter in the car alone. “I couldn’t help. I wanted to, but I couldn’t,” she said. She testified that bystanders struggled to break the glass and cut the seatbelt to reach the baby – and that since that day, she now carries those tools with her.
First responders: Disoriented driver, high BAC
Clarksville Police Lt. Chris Cunningham testified that he took aerial photographs of the crash scene using a drone.
Paramedic Gabrielle Bragg testified that Harris was pronounced dead at the scene. She said Schunn appeared disoriented and told her, “It wasn’t my fault, I didn’t do anything.”
A portion of Schunn’s medical records was entered as a stipulation. Sherman read to jurors that Schunn’s blood alcohol content was 0.196 when his blood was drawn at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville around 9:45 a.m. the morning of the crash.
Court recessed Tuesday evening and is scheduled to resume Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Montgomery County Courts Center.
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