It was anything but a typical commute this morning for drivers on Interstate 40 in Knoxville. A collision between a car and a pickup truck caused both vehicles to crash and veer off the road into the woods. Multiple people were taken to local hospitals with a variety of injuries.
The car accident reportedly happened on the interstate between the Cedar Bluff and I-140 interchanges. It’s not known what caused the collision, but a Toyota Camry and a Ford F-150 pickup truck made contact in the eastbound lanes of I-40.
The impact apparently caused both vehicles to veer off the road and crash into the nearby woods, which separate the road from a nearby motel on Kingston Pike. The 41-year-old driver of the Camry, along with two passengers who were riding in the vehicle, were taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately released, but the injuries were apparently non-life-threatening.
The 68-year-old driver of the pickup, meanwhile, was treated at Parkwest Medical Center for his injuries. The Nashville resident’s injuries were also not described as life-threatening, according to media reports.
Since the accident happened at about 6 a.m. this morning, commuters no doubt wondered what was going on as they observed the two vehicles being towed from the depth of the woods. Police are still trying to piece together what happened to cause the accident, and it was unclear if charges would be filed.
Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “Vehicles crash into woods alongside I-40 near Cedar Bluff,” Don Jacobs, July 23, 2012