An early morning ride on I-40 West in West Knoxville ended in tragedy Thursday when a man and a woman were killed in a motorcycle crash near Walker Springs Road, Knoxville police said. Officers arrived just before 1:30 a.m. and found both riders had been thrown from the bike and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Knoxville Police Department. No other injuries were reported, and investigators have taken over the interstate probe.
Officers were called to the stretch of I-40 West shortly before 1:30 a.m. on March 19 and found the two victims on the pavement, WVLT reported. Scott Earland with the Knoxville Police Department told the station that, based on witness statements, investigators believe the motorcycle was traveling westbound when it struck the rear of another vehicle. According to WVLT, KPD's fatal accident investigators are handling the case.
Investigators Zero In On Rear-End Collision
Earland said officers think the motorcycle collided with the back of another vehicle while heading west on I-40, and detectives are interviewing witnesses to piece together a timeline. The Knoxville Police Department's news pages note that the agency routinely assigns crash reconstruction and fatal accident teams to complex interstate incidents, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
What Authorities Are Asking
Both victims, a man and a woman, were declared dead at the scene, and no other injuries were reported, the station said. Detectives have not released the victims' names while they work to notify family members, WVLT reported.
How To Share Information
Anyone who saw the crash or has video is asked to call the Knoxville Police Department's non-emergency line at (865) 215-4010, according to the Knoxville Police Department. KPD's fatal accident unit continues to process the scene and is requesting that anyone with tips reach out through the department's public contact channels.
