UPDATE: 3/17/22 – 6:00pm (Updates in bold)
Two people and a dog are dead following multiple wrecks on I-40 in Smith County Wednesday afternoon.
Just after 2pm on Wednesday, March 16, Smith County 911 received a call reporting a single vehicle tractor trailer accident around MM 264 East bound on I-40. The truck had jack-knifed and was blocking both lanes of travel.
A second accident occurred a few minutes later around MM 259 East bound. The second accident involved four vehicles, three tractor trailer trucks and a pickup truck.
Reports indicate that traffic was stopping on I-40 due to the earlier wreck, when a tractor trailer failed to slow down and crashed in to the rear end of a pickup truck. The pickup truck was then pinned between two tractor trailer trucks.
Smith County EMA director, Sonny Carter, confirmed that the two people and a dog in the pickup truck were killed in the crash.
Thursday afternoon, THP released the identities of the individuals killed, Tyler Paradise, 28, of Washington and Phillip Hewett, 72, of North Carolina.
Brandon Brock, 34, of LaFollette, TN was the driver of the Freightliner that struck the pickup truck.
The crash remains under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Smith County Rescue Squad, Smith County Hazmat Team, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Smith County EMS, Gordonsville Police Department, THP and TDOT responded to the scene.
I-40 is estimated to remain closed until 10:00pm Wednesday night.
Check back to Smith County Insider for more information as this story develops.
