Two years after a multi-vehicle crash in Murfreesboro killed their only child, a Mt. Juliet couple is channeling their grief into a community event aimed at keeping other families off the same tragic path. Kyler Gatica was 16 and a junior at Mt. Juliet High School when he was killed in 2024 as his family drove home from a fall break trip in Florida. Now his parents are hosting a distracted-driving awareness walk at the very school he once attended.
Kyler Gatica, 16, was killed in a crash as his family was heading home from a fall break trip in Florida, according to WSMV. He was a junior at Mt. Juliet High School, and his family lost their only child in the crash, the station reports. His mother, Stephanie Gatica, has spoken candidly about the toll of that loss. “It’s hard to get out of bed most days,” she said. “But to know that I could possible, possibly save another family from experiencing this heartache is why I get up every day.”
What Happened on I-840
The crash unfolded on Interstate 840 East in Rutherford County after several cars slowed because of traffic conditions, according to WKRN. A preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol report cited by the station found that a 2011 Nissan Juke rear-ended the Gatica family, causing their 2024 Nissan Altima to collide with a 2009 Toyota Corolla, which then crashed into a 2015 GMC Yukon. Kyler’s parents, Matthew and Stephanie Gatica, were injured but survived, per the same reporting.
The portion of I-840 between mile markers 53 and 55 has since been designated the Kyler Gatica Memorial Highway, the station notes. Roughly two months after Kyler’s death, Breanna Bishop was arrested by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the crash. The case remains pending, with a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for January 11, 2027, followed by a jury trial currently set for February 1, 2027, according to the same outlet.
Turning Loss Into a Foundation
Kyler’s parents started a foundation in his memory, which WSMV reports is meant to help prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies. That organization, Kyler’s Impact Foundation, is now hosting a community event to raise awareness of distracted driving on Saturday, October 17, at Mt. Juliet High School. The gathering is also listed on Wilson County Source as the Distracted Driving Is Scary Awareness Walk, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event partners with the Mt. Juliet Police Department and is focused on promoting safe, distraction-free driving habits and supporting roadway safety education, Wilson County Source reports. Mt. Juliet High School’s own calendar lists the gathering simply as a Distracted Driving Awareness Walk taking place in the school parking lot.
What Families Can Expect
Organizers say the day will include a community walk, public safety education, food vendors and pumpkin painting, according to WSMV. Kyler’s Impact Foundation describes it as a fun day of Halloween activities, costumes, treats and distracted-driving awareness for the whole family, and the event is free to attend.
Two years removed from the crash that took her son, Stephanie Gatica continues to show up for the cause, even on the hardest days. The walk at Mt. Juliet High School stands as both a memorial and a plea to drivers passing through the community where Kyler once walked the halls as a junior.
