NASHVILLE, Tenn. (EYT) – On Wednesday, officials in Wilson County, Tennessee, approved a resolution to name a portion of Interstate 440 in honor of Clarion University graduate Caitlyn Kaufman, who was fatally shot on the highway while driving to work late last year.
According to WZTV Nashville, the Wilson County Commission approved a resolution that requests the Tennessee Department of Transportation name a one-mile stretch of the interstate in honor of the slain nurse.
The request requires the final approval of the Department of Transportation before it becomes official.
Currently, a cross bearing Kaufman’s name stands in her memory between the Hillsboro and West End exits of the highway.
Kaufman, a 26-year-old Butler County native, was found dead in her vehicle on December 3, 2020, on the shoulder of I-440W.
Kaufman was discovered by a Metro Nashville officer who stopped around 9:00 p.m. that night to investigate why her vehicle was parked on the shoulder of the highway, believing it was a single-vehicle crash.
A Davidson County Medical Examiner determined Kaufman was killed by a single gunshot that entered her left shoulder and she likely died within 15 seconds, with no time to even call 9-1-1.
Thus far, three individuals, who investigators have said did not know Kaufman prior to that day, have been arrested in connection with her death.
James Edward Cowan, 28, and Devaunte Lewis Hill, 21, are each facing a homicide charge, while Cowan’s girlfriend, 21-year-old Dimeneshia Carter, is facing an accessory charge.
There are also federal charges pending against Cowan. He is facing charges for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance based on evidence found when he was arrested.
While police have found no prior link between Caitlyn Kaufman and the individuals being charged in relation to the shooting, a possible motive offered by witnesses and investigators on the case is road rage.
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