A new Tennessee law that took effect July 1 increases prison sentences for impaired drivers convicted of vehicular homicide who also leave the scene of a crash — and requires them to serve every day of that sentence.
Under Senate Bill 2138/House Bill 2014, those convicted of both vehicular homicide by intoxication and leaving the scene are now sentenced as Range II offenders, carrying a prison term of 12 to 20 years. Previously, the same crimes carried a sentence of 8 to 12 years under Range I sentencing. The new law also eliminates the possibility of early release, requiring offenders to serve 100% of their sentence.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Tennessee is applauding the change, noting that Tennessee ranked 9th in the nation for drunk-driving deaths in 2024. According to the latest Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 332 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in Tennessee that year — 15% higher than in 2019…