Helicopter crash causes major backup on I 24

UPDATE: Officials have now confirmed that a Tennessee trooper and a Marion County Sheriff’s officer were killed in the helicopter crash Tuesday afternoon in the Whiteside community.

7PM UPDATE: Officials have found a crash site for the helicopter, traffic on I 24 is now clear.

___________

HALETOWN, Tennessee (WDEF) – TDOT officials now confirm that a helicopter did crash near I 24 in Marion County this afternoon.

Emergency responders have shutdown I 24 as they try to get to the crash scene.

They have gotten numerous reports that the helicopter hit power lines, and may have brought some down.

Witnesses report that there were wires down on the Interstate initially.

It appears to have happened on Aetna mountain overlooking the interstate in the Whiteside community near Nickajack Lake.

THP has shutdown the east bound lanes backing up traffic now to Jasper.

The westbound lanes are also blocked, backing up traffic back to Lookout Valley in Chattanooga.

Highway 299 paralleling the Interstate on the north side has also been shutdown for first responders.