Representative Gant Proposes Enhanced Penalty for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Assault
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Representative Ron Gant, R-Piperton, has proposed legislation to enhance the penalty for aggravated vehicular homicide and assault in Tennessee.
House Bill 190 will lower the minimum alcohol concentration (BAC) in a person’s blood to be considered aggravated vehicular homicide or assault from 0.20 percent to 0.15 percent.
“Driving under the influence is a serious offense and our laws should accurately reflect the severity of the crime,” said Gant. “Far too many people are killed and injured each year at the hands of someone drunk behind the wheel, a heartbreaking reality that we must work to change. This legislation is a common-sense way to improve road and public safety in the Volunteer State by holding drunk drivers accountable for selfishly and dangerously putting Tennessee families in harm’s way.”
Aggravated vehicular homicide is a Class A felony where offenders face up to 60 years in prison. Currently, a person must have a 0.20 percent BAC when they kill another person while driving intoxicated in addition to having two or more prior convictions for vehicular assault or driving while intoxicated to be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. They must also have a prior conviction for vehicular homicide.
Aggravated vehicular assault constitutes a Class C felony in Tennessee, which has a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Someone who causes serious bodily injury to another person while driving intoxicated faces a charge of aggravated vehicular assault. They must have two or more prior convictions for vehicular assault or driving while intoxicated and a prior conviction for vehicular homicide, assault or aggravated vehicular homicide.
One in three fatal crashes in Tennessee involve a person driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, costing the lives of 441 people in 2023. A Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission report required by legislation Gant passed in 2024 reveals alcohol-related vehicular crash deaths increased by 36 percent between 2019 and 2023 in Tennessee, while injury crashes increased by 12 percent.
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