ROCKWOOD, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Transportation said two semi-trucks crashed near each other on I-40 East near Rockwood Thursday night, blocking the highway.
The first crash was reported at around 8:57 p.m. Eastern Time at mile marker 341 on Rockwood Mountain, according to TDOT. Just minutes later, a second semi-truck just behind it jackknifed across the interstate, closing it down for hours.
As of 11:55 p.m. Thursday, crews had made progress in moving the jackknifed truck off the road. Crews could be seen on TDOT cameras towing another vehicle off the side of the road away on a trailer. Traffic could be seen slowly moving again on the eastbound side just after midnight.
These were just two of several semi-truck crashes reported Thursday evening as wintry weather moved into the region, bringing dangerous driving conditions.
A third crash was reported in the same area on the westbound side of I-40 at around 11:24 p.m. Eastern Time. It blocked one lane of westbound traffic.
Freezing rain was in the forecast, which can cause black ice to form — a hazardous kind of ice that may not be immediately visible to drivers. TDOT urged drivers to use extreme caution if they absolutely needed to drive Thursday night. Otherwise, people should stay home.
Information about the crashes in Roane County, such as specific circumstances surrounding them and whether any injuries were reported, was not immediately available. This story will be updated when more information is available.
"Travel is not recommended tonight in many spots in East Tennessee due to freezing rain and icy road conditions. We have already seen multiple crashes in Knox, Roane, Campbell and Loudon counties. Stay off the roads," TDOT Said.