Motor vehicle accidents happen every day on the roads of Tennessee. Each accident provides important details on situations that face drivers in terms of weather and traffic conditions, as well as other factors that lead to crashes.

Accidents ranging from the fairly common to the highly unusual illustrate some of the challenges to public safety.

Driver crashes into police cruiser

WRCB TV reports that a driver collided with a Chattanooga police car with its lights and sirens activated. The police officer was on his way to help another officer following a hit-and-run vehicle accident. The officer avoided any significant injuries, while the other driver sustained minor injuries that required a hospital visit.

The accident occurred around 9:40 p.m. on N. Moore Road in Chattanooga. The separate accident resulted in the apprehension of a person fleeing the scene of the accident. The news report did not elaborate on the charges in either incident.

Single vehicle accident results in death

News Channel 5 reported that a 52-year-old-man hit a tree after leaving the roadway on Old Hickory Road in Madison. The man, driving an SUV, crossed into the path of oncoming traffic and left the roadway and then struck the tree.

Medical personnel transported the man to Skyline Medical Center, where he later died. Metro Nashville Police could give no reason why the man left the roadway and crossed the centerline. The news report did not mention any other known complicating information on the incident. Authorities ordered toxicology testing to gain insight into the reasons for the crash and to determine possible charges.