Pruitt Funeral Home

It was raining when Pruitt and another medic transported patient Nyema Jackson from her home in Jackson to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jackson and Pruitt died after being thrown from the ambulance. Pruitt's body received a two-hour escort back to Jackson with the interstate lined with emergency vehicles from around the state.“His kids, they were so happy about seeing the lights but then when we got to the funeral home and they pulled him out, and it had an American flag, that’s when it sank in,” said Adam King, cousin of Kimberly Pruitt whose husband died in an ambulance crash.King recalls the moment his cousin’s body returned home. He expected to see him again, but not like that.“His little girl just lost it,' she said. "Everybody lost it. There wasn’t a dry eye,” said King.Pruitt, who lived in Jackson, Tenn. was a medic for only two months before the crash ended his life. He lived to serve others, family members say. He received the Purple Heart award while serving in the military. He was also in school, studying to become a registered nurse.Pruitt and his family are close. They have been known to joke a lot, play music together and always help each other when needed.“He never judged you. He was always smiling, always laughing. He always had something nice to say. He always made everybody feel like they were somebody,” said Michael King.Pruitt and his wife Kim are described as "inseparable." Now, it’s just Kim left to care for their two kids who are 6 and 8 years old. “He wouldn’t have wanted to leave. He loved his kids so much,” said Michael King.Family says he also enjoyed helping others, especially his patients, but his time has been cut short.“He was on the right track, just gone too early,” said Adam King. “I miss him like crazy and I’ll never forget him but they’re honoring him like no other. It’s just awesome.”The paramedic driving the ambulance when it crashed asked Pruitt’s wi...

Gray skies were reluctant to allow rain to fall as clouds blew northward. That was the scene as Zach Pruitt’s body was returned to Jackson, less than 24 hours after he lost his life in a wreck involving the ambulance he was working in transporting Nyema Jackson. Both were killed after they were ejected from the ambulance, according to accident reports. Emergency vehicle lights also flashed on overpasses on the highway up to the overpass at Exit 83 on Saturday, a trend that started in Nashville after the procession that carried Pruitt began its trek back to rural West Tennessee. As the procession passed each exit, the vehicles meeting the group would get on the highway and increase the number of vehicles traveling together until the large group entered Jackson and took Pruitt the funeral home to begin preparations for his funeral. Pruitt was a 2000 graduate of North Side High School who went on to serve in the Army. He was an Army veteran who received a Purple Heart and medical discharge after getting severely injured in an roadside bomb attack while serving in Afghanistan. Medina resident Steven Rich grew up with him. “Zach was an absolutely amazing man,” Rich said. “I have never in my entire life met someone that wanted to help people as much as him. “He truly had the heart of a servant. He did not care the circumstances. If he heard of or saw someone in need, he was the first person to put his personal life on hold to be there to help a complete stranger any way that he could.” Rich said military and emergency service were two things typical of Pruitt. “He was a man born for service, and he lived service his entire life,” Rich said. “He served his family, his cou...