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Jacob Barnhardt, a 34-year-old army veteran from Nashville, died after a drag race driver crashed into his car while he was on his way to pick up his children on Monday, March 6, 2023.
Authorities said that Jacob Barnhardt was driving a Honda Insight sedan when drag racer Patrick Ewin, 31, lost control of his Dodge Charger Hellcat while speeding on Clarksville Pike just north of Cliff Drive late Monday afternoon and crashed into the Nashville dad.
The crash reportedly caused a three-vehicle collision after the driver, allegedly driving at 100 mph, crashed into Jacob Barnhardt's car, resulting in his death. The driver, who sustained minor injuries during the crash, was treated at the hospital and subsequently arrested for the crime.
Details of Jacob Barnhardt's death explored
As per multiple reports, on Monday, a race car driver, Patrick Ewin, driving a Dodge Charger Hellcat, struck a Honda Insight sedan being driven by Jacob Barnhardt after losing control of his car. After crashing into Barnhardt, Ewin, who was driving north at 100 mph, then collided with a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
Authorities reported that Barnhardt, who had to be removed from the Honda, was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died shortly after.
While Ewin sustained minor wounds, the driver of the pickup truck was uninjured.
In the wake of the tragic incident, Barnhardt's girlfriend, Kate Kastle, shared a brief insight into the character of her partner in a statement to FOX 17 News, describing him as a devoted father and boyfriend who was deeply invested in the well-being of his kids.
In an emotional statement, Kastle revealed that Jacob Barnhardt was a nurse who served as a special forces medic in the army for 15 years before leaving the service to spend more time with his family. Kastle added that her partner was a caring, kind individual who always took care of his family.
“Jake was just amazing. He was the most loyal, devoted partner and father/stepfather. He was so incredibly family oriented and did anything to make all of us smile. He was a protector - as a former nurse and special forces medic, he was always taking care of us if we were hurt or sick, and his teammates all said they always felt so safe when they were with him.”
Kastle also spoke about everything that she would miss in their relationship.
“I’ll miss his little half-smile and the way he always wanted to hold hands. I’ll miss hearing him make monkey noises for the kids - they loved that. I’ll miss watching him with our kids. I’ll miss filling the house with snacks for him - I called him my raccoon because he was always digging into snacks.”
Authorities said that the drag race driver was charged with vehicular homicide by recklessness and his bond was set at $75,000.
