CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A 23-year-old woman has been charged with homicide in a March 21, 2022, head-on crash that killed a 79-year-old Cumberland Furnace woman.
Katlyn Smalley, 23, was indicted by the grand jury in February on charges of vehicular homicide in the death of Rebecca Shelton, along with reckless endangerment that placed Ronald Hunter, 78, in danger of death or serious bodily injury.
According to a THP crash report obtained by Clarksville Now, that Monday at 1:30 p.m., Rebecca Shelton and her husband, Jerry Shelton, 79, were travelling southbound on Highway 48 just past Ramblewood Drive in a 2018 silver Hyundai. Smalley was travelling north in a 2016 black Hyundai, following behind a 2021 black Toyota truck driven by Ronald Hunter. The vehicle in front of Hunter braked, causing him to slow down, and he was struck from behind by Smalley. The report said she was following too closely.
Witnesses stated they saw Hunter’s truck cross the double yellow lines directly into oncoming traffic. “The gray sedan didn’t have any time to react,” one witness said in the report.
The Sheltons were immediately taken to Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville. Rebecca Shelton died from her injuries.
Hunter was flown by LifeFlight helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Arraignment for Smalley is set for March 6.