MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - A late-night emergency scene turned hazardous early Monday morning when a speeding vehicle slammed into parked first responder units on Interstate 24. Two individuals were seriously injured in the secondary wreck, which occurred between the Almaville Road and I-840 interchanges.
The incident began around 1:00 a.m. while crews were managing an initial scene involving a rolled-over semi-truck. According to Rutherford County Sheriff’s Cpl. Riley Dunmyer, a white sedan traveling at a high rate of speed entered the work zone and struck the back of Deputy Tyler Purvis’s patrol SUV. The deputy's vehicle had been positioned in the third lane to shield the scene from oncoming traffic.
The force of the impact was so severe that it propelled the patrol unit forward, causing it to collide with a Rutherford County Fire Rescue engine parked directly ahead.
The two male occupants of the sedan sustained significant injuries and were rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for treatment. While the driver of the overturned tractor-trailer was unhurt, paramedics with Rutherford County EMS evaluated the on-scene first responders as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no emergency personnel were injured in the secondary crash.
The collision resulted in the total loss of the Sheriff’s Office SUV, while Rescue Engine 60 suffered substantial damage.
Following the wreck, Fire-Rescue Chief Larry Farley emphasized the critical need for motorist awareness. Local authorities are using this incident to remind the public of Tennessee’s "Move Over Law," which mandates that drivers reduce their speed and change lanes when approaching emergency vehicles with active flashing lights.
