Spencer Woods, 27, faces multiple charges after his semi allegedly struck vehicles on Interstate 24 East in Nashville Tuesday night. Police took him into custody after he left the crash scene; according to the arrest affidavit, he said he believed other drivers were trying to kill him.
Officer Finds Debris and a Damaged Semi
A Metro Nashville Police Department officer responded Tuesday night to reports of a tractor-trailer crash near mile marker 54 on I-24 East. WSMV reported that the officer found debris across the left two lanes and that another semi driver said his truck had been hit.
The arrest affidavit says Woods walked away from the crash carrying a metal bar and tried to get passing motorists to stop. When he saw the officer and heard her commands, he crossed the median wall, according to the affidavit as described by WSMV.
Interstate Shut Down Briefly as Troopers Respond
Three drivers’ vehicles were struck; one driver sustained minor injuries, and another had to have her vehicle towed because of the damage, WSMV reported. Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers and other units joined the search, and the interstate was briefly shut down before Woods was taken into custody.
Woods was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a medical evaluation following his arrest. The affidavit does not specify the outcome of that evaluation or whether he remained hospitalized afterward, according to WSMV.
Driver Claimed He Was Targeted and Set Up
In the arrest affidavit, Woods said drivers on the interstate were “after him” and had tried to box him in to kill him. He also told investigators that his boss was behind the incident and had tried to “set him up,” according to the affidavit cited by WSMV.
Woods was ultimately charged with three counts of leaving the scene of a crash causing damage, along with evading arrest and disorderly conduct, as reported by WSMV. No additional details about his employer, his legal representation, or the identities of the other drivers involved have been released.
I-24 and truck-crash context
Tennessee Highway Patrol’s 2023 Crash Facts counted 12,858 TCA-reportable crashes involving large trucks statewide. That total provides statewide context, not a count for this I-24 crash or a comparison with other vehicle crashes in the Nashville area. For route context, TDOT describes the I-24 SMART Corridor as extending about 28 miles, from Exit 53 (I-440) in Metro Nashville-Davidson County to Exit 81 (SR 10/US 231) in Murfreesboro. The route description gives the corridor’s limits but does not specify particular safety or traffic-management changes near mile marker 54.
