Benjamin Brewer trial begins

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — The trial of a truck driver accused of slamming his semi into traffic on I-75 and killing six people, is underway.

On the first day of trial for Benjamin Brewer witnesses and victims took the stand.

Brewer is accused of driving his semi under the influence when he allegedly caused a nine vehicle crash that killed six people and injured several others in June of 2015.

Tina Close and her family were driving on I-75 that day when they were slowed down due to construction.

“I remember hearing a very loud sound that I would describe as an explosion or implosion behind me, so I turned to look out of the rear window of the truck and there was a semi coming behind us in our lane very fast,” Close said.

Close says she thought the worst.

“I knew we were surrounded by traffic we were sitting still. We were behind a semi and I thought we would be mutilated at the minimum, killed at the most,” she said.

An off duty truck driver, who was driving in his personal car, says near the Georgia and Tennessee line, he saw a semi driving recklessly down the Interstate.

“He was tailgating people and driving way over the posted speed limit. Driving reckless he did it all the way down through there,” Curtis Caulder said.

Close and here family were able to get out safely, but their pickup truck was totaled.

“There was a concern that we had to remove the children and myself from the scene because there were lots of fires and there had been some explosions. We just didn’t know what would happen next,” Close said.

The trial is expected to last most of the week.