Truck accidents are an unfortunate occurrence on Tennessee roadways. With the increase in trucks on the roads, it is bound to happen regularly. However, when a truck accident occurs, even if it is not an injury accident, it still causes issues for everyone else on the roads. This is especially true if the truck is carrying hazardous materials.
A good example of how such an accident can bring traffic to a standstill is what happened to a tanker truck on December 15, 2019. Right before 5:00 a.m., reports came in that a tanker truck had turned over in the median on I-40 after a crash. The truck did not completely flip over, but was rather leaning into the median, which prevented the driver from moving it any further. There were injuries in the accident, which involved another vehicle, but there were no updates on the severity or current status of the individuals involved.
The main issue with this accident was not the large truck blocking the roadway as it was not across all lanes, but rather that it was carrying hazardous materials. If a spill were to happen, it would completely close the roadway for quite some time.
To fix the accident, road crews had to carefully remove the truck from the median and get it back onto the road without causing any further damage or spilling its contents. This was a precarious process that took crews hours to accomplish. During this time, officials closed I-40 at I-640 heading west of the accident scene.
An accident with a large truck is a scary situation even if it only involves minor injuries and property damage. The risks are quite high for catastrophic injuries and even death, especially in an accident involving a truck carrying hazardous materials.
Source: WATE