Six people were hospitalized in non-critical condition Tuesday afternoon after an 18-wheeler and a Memphis Area Transit Authority bus collided on Poplar Avenue, according to police. Officers responded to the crash around 10:46 a.m., and all six injured were transported to area hospitals with what authorities described as non-critical injuries.
The collision was reported by FOX13 Memphis, which cited police in confirming the crash occurred on Poplar Avenue and that six people were injured in the wreck between the tractor-trailer and the transit bus. Details on the exact cross street, the vehicles' directions of travel, and how the crash unfolded have not yet been released.
Poplar Avenue, also known as U.S. Route 72, is a 24-mile east-west corridor.
A Corridor With a Crash History
Poplar Avenue is no stranger to serious wrecks. Crash data compiled by Memphis personal injury firm Southern Injury Attorneys between 2021 and 2024 found that intersections along the corridor, including Poplar and Highland with 23 cases and Poplar and Perkins with 12, rank among the busiest collision sites in the city.
This is not the first high-profile incident involving a MATA bus on Poplar Avenue this year. In August, Hoodline reported a hit-and-run bus crash at Poplar and McLean Boulevard in Midtown, underscoring the corridor's recurring role in transit-related collisions.
MATA's Ongoing Safety and Budget Strain
A 2024 operational assessment of MATA was prepared by TransPro.
That review came as MATA grappled with a projected $60 million budget deficit in 2024, a shortfall so severe it forced the agency to eliminate more than a quarter of its bus routes, per the Institute for Public Service Reporting. The cuts were aimed at closing the funding gap.
What Tennessee Law Requires Next
Accident reporting and vehicle movement after crashes are additional considerations.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules add another layer of scrutiny for the 18-wheeler involved.
If any of the six injured pursue civil claims, questions of fault and damages would be among the issues at stake.
Auto liability coverage and commercial-carrier liability requirements may also be relevant. No further details on the cause of Tuesday's crash, the identities of those hospitalized, or their updated conditions have been released.
