Serious I-75 Crash Caused by Medical Emergency

Chattanooga fire and police personnel were called to a tractor-trailer wreck just off of I-75 north shortly before noon today.

Tactical Services Chief Mack Moore said the driver of the truck apparently had a medical emergency and managed to steer his rig onto the new on-ramp to Enterprise South before collapsing. As the rig jack-knifed, the trailer slid across a guardrail before coming to a stop down a steep angle from the road. Traffic on I-75 was not affected.

Chattanooga firefighters pulled the driver from the cab paramedics with Hamilton County EMS began CPR. He was taken to Erlanger Medical Center.

Chief Moore said the trailer was carrying containers of paint and a couple of other chemicals. An initial inspection showed that some paint was leaking from the trailer. The tractor was also leaking diesel fuel. So the firefighters dug a dike around the trailer to contain any runoff that might come from the trailer. An environmental cleanup company was called in to help with the clean up. Chattanooga firefighters cleared the scene at 3:00 p.m.

Chattanooga police are investigating the cause of the accident. Chattanooga Stormwater Management also provided assistance on the scene.