La VERGNE, TN (WGNS News) - For the second time in as many weeks, a multi‑vehicle crash has hit the same one‑mile stretch of I‑24 near the Rutherford‑Davidson County line—a corridor that has quietly become one of the most dangerous in Middle Tennessee. Friday (1/16/2026) night's wreck was reported shortly after 6:00PM, when a motorist called in the crash near mile marker 63.8 on the eastbound side, just before the Waldron Road exit into La Vergne. Conditions were made were by the rain that has moved into the area and the fact that ihe sun set over an hour earlier, thus it was totally dark. Temps had not plumeted and were still in the low 50s. 

TDOT’s SmartWay system confirmed that the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded quickly, closing the right lane and right shoulder while emergency crews worked the scene. Even with three lanes still open, traffic funneled down to a slow crawl as drivers eased past flashing lights and damaged vehicles. Commuters heading into Rutherford County from Nashville felt the pinch almost immediately.

This isn’t an isolated incident. That stretch of interstate—from roughly mile marker 63 through 84, running between La Vergne and Smyrna—has become one of the most crash‑prone areas in the region. Tennessee Highway Patrol data shows more than 2,500 crashes occurred there between January 2022 and January 2025. Over 300 of those involved suspected injuries, and 17 were fatal.

The numbers only grew in 2024, when 771 crashes were recorded in that same zone, eight of them deadly. And 2026 is already off to a troubling start, with more than 75 crashes logged in just the first few weeks of the year. Troopers say the most common factors behind these wrecks include failure to yield, improper lane usage, speeding, distracted driving, and impairment.

Sgt. Andrew Perez with THP has been blunt about what needs to change. “Stay off your cell phone, don’t mess around with your radio, don’t eat, don’t put your makeup on. Devote your full time and attention to safely operating your vehicle,” he said, urging drivers to take the growing crash numbers seriously.

Friday night’s collision is yet another reminder of how quickly traffic can shift from routine to dangerous along this busy commuter route. With more people traveling between Metro Nashville and Rutherford County than ever before, safety officials continue to stress caution, patience, and focus behind the wheel.

Stay tuned, as more information is available, NewsRadio WGNS will release it.