THP identifies man killed in Henderson Co. I-40 wreck
HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Authorities have identified the man killed in a Thursday morning accident on I-40 in Henderson County. Archie Mathis, 33, of Alamo was killed when the tractor trailer he was driving crossed the median and struck another tractor trailer in the eastbound lane, according to a report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Mathis was wearing his seat belt, according to the report. The incident caused traffic to come to a halt on a six-mile eastbound stretch of I-40. The accident occurred just before 10 a.m. Thursday when Mathis’ tractor trailer crossed the median at mile marker 103 in Henderson County, according to the report. The truck then struck Donyel Glaspie’s 18-wheeler in the rear of its trailer. Glaspie told WBBJ he tried to swerve out of the away and avoid the oncoming trailer. Other truckers sitting in the rest area also caught a glimpse of the crash. Some said it was one of the worst crashes they have ever seen. “I looked down, and I heard something like a tire blown,” J.P. Grenay said. “I looked up and saw a ball of flame coming from the trailer and saw the one that got hit laying down.” Glaspie and his passenger were able to walk away from the crash with minor injuries. It is unknown what caused Mathis to cross the median.
