One Killed, Several Others Injured on I-75 Northbound

One person is dead and several others injured after two separate crashes on Interstate 75 Wednesday morning near Ooltewah.
They happened minutes and miles apart.

“We had a 3 car crash at the 14 mile marker. Due to that crash the traffic backed up on the interstate and at 4:40 AM two tractor trailers collided and resulted in 1 fatality”, said Tennessee Highway Patrol Sergeant Alan Bailey.

The two semis collided resulting in the death of an Athens, Tennessee man, 66-year-old James Newman.

The driver of the truck, Cindy Kennedy, was uninjured.

“Both vehicles were traveling northbound in the right hand lane. the first tractor trailer stopped, the second tractor trailer could not get stopped in time….swerved to the left and the front right of the tractor trailer collided with left rear of the trailer in front of his, said Sergeant Bailey.

The Tennessee Highway patrol has identified the driver of the of the semi that side swiped Kennedy as Danny Caldwell from Old Fort, Tennessee.

Caldwell sustained injuries in the crash.

I-75 Northbound heading towards Bradley County was at shutdown for several hours.

While authorities investigated the scene traffic was diverted to alternative routes.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said 3 cars and 4 people were involved in the first accident at mile marker 14.

That crash resulted in multiple injuries. One person received serious injuries.

THP  believes the crash involving the semis was a secondary crash due to traffic coming to a stand still for the first crash.

“the first vehicle of the tractor trailer stopped. the second one tried to get stopped and he had to go to the left lane and when he did he struck the back end of the second tractor trailer”, said Sgt. Bailey.

Northbound lanes were reopened around 10:30 a.m.
All parties in the accident involving the semi crash were wearing their seatbelts.
Criminal charges are pending for both accidents.