Serious crash shuts down lanes of I-40 Friday morning

BENTON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Benton County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call early Friday morning about a serious crash on Interstate 40.

“We got a call this morning, about five minutes till 4 a.m., that there had been two semis that had hit, between the 127 and 128,” said Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher.

One truck was flipped on its side, and the other sustained major damage to the cab.

Christopher says the driver of one of the trucks was trapped when they first arrived at the scene.

“We called out our rescue squad. They made scene and removed the person from the truck,” Christopher said.

The crash and the debris caused deputies and the Tennessee Highway Patrol to shut down the westbound lanes of Interstate 40.

The closure lasted almost four hours.

“Majority of it just sat there, and it backed up over to the Tennessee River bridge, about six miles,” Christopher said.

One of the truck drivers went to the emergency room at Camden General Hospital and was released.

By 7 a.m., one lane was opened up for traffic. The interstate reopened completely around 8:30 a.m.

Officials also confirmed that the Holladay McIllwain Fire Department, emergency medical services and the THP all responded to assist with the crash.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News is still working to confirm the condition of the other driver.

Christopher says weather may have played a part in the crash.