KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Update (9/25 at 5:20 p.m.): Traffic was stopped and all lanes were blocked Wednesday afternoon on I-40 East at the I-640 split due to a semi-truck crash, said the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The lanes were later reopened.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, the single-vehicle crash involves a semi-truck knocking over a utility pole. Traffic was diverted to Rutledge Pike. Police said the truck was driving east on I-40 when the driver said another vehicle cut it off.
Police said the truck veered into the guardrail to try to avoid a crash. It went through the guardrail and utility pole before stopping in a grass median. The utility pole fell down across I-40, blocking eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes.
The driver was not injured, according to police.
TDOT said a crane was in the process of being transported, and was stuck around four vehicles behind the pole. Mark Nagi, a spokesperson for TDOT, said its operator volunteered to help move it.
"It was a very large crane for that job," he said.
