The Tennessee Highway Patrol is actively seeking the public's aid in tracking down a suspect involved in a hit-and-run incident that left one person seriously injured. This plea for assistance comes after a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) struck a passenger vehicle and its driver on Interstate 81 South in Greene County. The crash took place on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 5, around 7 a.m., specifically near mile marker 47, as reported by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, the victim was in the midst of changing a rear tire on their vehicle which was appropriately parked on the right emergency shoulder of the highway. This was when the CMV, orchestrating a series of events, hit the passenger vehicle, causing the driver to be struck and thrown off the scene, sustaining serious injuries. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has revealed that a witness present at the time saw the CMV pulling over after the incident but only to abruptly flee the scene moments later.
The witness, who had stopped to offer help to the injured victim, noted that the tractor-trailer did not stay for long and continued southbound on the interstate. The truck's driver did not make an attempt to exit the cab or approach the scene of the crash. This account adds to the urgency with which authorities are addressing the situation, emphasizing the need for any available details that might lead to apprehending the CMV driver responsible for the accident, as noted by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.
At this stage, the description of the suspect's vehicle is limited just to its identity as a CMV with a white box trailer attached. It is possible that the vehicle acquired damage on its right side due to the impact, an observation which could include the rear axles of the tractor or the front end of the trailer. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has issued a call out to anyone who may have witnessed the event, or comes to possess information regarding the driver or vehicle, to get in touch with their Emergency Dispatch Communications Center at (865) 895-6950 and speak with Sgt. Jonathan Scott, as per the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security official statement.
