The fiancé of James “J.R.” Rogers said they had just bought a puppy
and were talking about starting a wedding planning business before he
was hit and killed on Christmas Eve.Rachael Cunningham is still in shock after Rogers passed away
Wednesday night at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She and others
expected the 30-year-old father to recover, though they knew it would be
a lengthy process.
The TDOT help truck driver was hit on Interstate 40 West near the
Hermitage exit on Christmas Eve while helping a family change a flat tire. “When he got to Vanderbilt that night, he was awake,” Cunningham told
News 2. “Then yesterday morning, the doctor told us his condition was
changing. Even the doctor told us he didn’t expect for it to change so
quickly.”
Cunningham and Rogers were together for three years. They considered each other engaged, but he had not yet officially proposed. “Last night some people came over and they told me about his plan for
the proposal,” Cunningham said. “We bought a house together in August
because we wanted to have a home for us before we got married.”
Rogers was the father of a 5-year-old son and a beloved member of the Cheatham County Community and coached football part time at Cheatham Central High School. “I used to laugh because I could not go anywhere with him without
someone stopping him to talk,” Cunningham said. “We have so much support
coming in from family, friends, and others; it’s amazing.”
Metro police arrested Dennis Castellanos-Moreno for driving without a
license and failure to provide proof of insurance. He is currently out
on $5,000 bond. But in light of Rogers’ death, charges against him could be upgraded by the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office.