Chase Wayne Mackey entered a guilty plea in the Cumberland County Criminal Court to one count of vehicular homicide by recklessness, stemming from an August 14, 2025, crash on Bell Road that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Zackary Ray Heylek.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mackey faces a six-year sentence with the specific manner of service to be determined by the trial judge at an upcoming sentencing hearing. By entering the plea, Mackey formally waived his constitutional rights to a jury trial, court-appointed counsel, and a direct appeal of the conviction, while also waiving judicial diversion.

The charges originated from a grand jury indictment following a Tennessee Highway Patrol investigation into a high-speed collision where Mackey’s Chevrolet Silverado struck a tree. Although initially facing a primary charge of vehicular homicide by intoxication carrying a potential sentence of eight to thirty years, the case resolved under the reckless homicide count carrying a sentencing range of three to six years at 100% service for a Range I offender. A sentencing date will be scheduled by the court.