LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (11/18): The Tennessee Highway Patrol released the preliminary reports for two separate deadly crashes that occurred near the same area in Loudon County on Friday, resulting in the deaths of one person in each crash.
The first wreck was reported around 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon and involved one vehicle, a Ford F-150. According to the crash report, the truck was traveling south in the left southbound lane of Interstate 75 near Mile Marker 70 when it hit the left side railing of a bridge.
THP said the truck then ran off the left side of the road before overturning and hitting several small trees, coming to an uncontrolled stop in the grass median. THP said there were two people inside the truck at the time of the wreck, one person was injured and another person, identified as Mary Adeline Edgeworth, 79, died.
A second wreck happened just after 5 p.m. and involved one death and seven vehicles. According to the crash report, a 1999 Toyota Tacoma was slowing down on near Mile Marker 74 on I-75 South due to congested traffic. A 2016 Toyota Tacoma then hit the first truck in the back.
According to the report, this then caused multiple vehicles to hit each other, causing a Honda Accord driven by Buffie Barker, 50, to hit a retaining wall and then go airborne into the Tennessee River. THP said the Barker's injuries were fatal.
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UPDATE: Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.
The Loudon County Sheriff's Office says I-75 is back open. According to the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, the vehicle involved in the wreck was recovered from the Tennessee River late Friday night.
We will continue to update this article when more information becomes available.
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Two different crashes involving several vehicles closed the southbound side of Interstate 75 Friday in Loudon County.
The first crash happened around 5 p.m. at mile marker 70 near the Pond Creek Road exit to Philadelphia. According to TDOT, the interstate was closed so a medical helicopter could land.
The second crash happened a few miles behind the first crash near the bridge that runs over the Tennessee River past Lenoir City. Authorities said it appeared a vehicle had "gone over the side of the bridge and into the Tennessee River."
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the second crash was reported at around 5:13 p.m. on Friday. Traffic was backed up for several miles past the exit to Sugarlimb Road.
I-75 South has been shut down at the 74-mile marker at the Tennessee River Bridge. The Loudon County Sheriff's Office said southbound traffic was being turned around, and the closure was expected to last several hours.
Additional information about the crashes, such as the circumstances surrounding them and whether any injuries were reported, was not immediately available. This story will be updated when more information is available.
