One killed, three injured in crash on I-75 Wednesday

One person was killed and three more injured during a traffic crash along I-75 in Whitley County Wednesday afternoon.

About 3:27 p.m., the Kentucky State Police, Post 11 London, received a report of a multiple vehicle traffic crash on I-75 in Whitley County.

Upon arrival Traffic Crash Reconstructionist TFC Don Trosper determined that a 2006, Freightliner, tractor trailer truck was traveling southbound on I-75 when it struck several vehicles that were slowed or stopped due to heavy traffic. The traffic backup was the result of a detour and another traffic crash.

The first vehicle struck by the Freightliner, was a blue, 2006, Ford, pickup truck which was pushed into a Silver, 2009, Ford Van. The Freightliner then struck a white, 2005, Freightliner motor home pulling a trailer and finally a blue, 1997, Freightliner, tractor trailer.

One person was fatally injured, two people were flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, one was transported by ambulance to Jellico Community Hospital and five people were uninjured.

The names of all involved are withheld at this time pending verification and notification of family.

Trosper is in charge of the investigation and was assisted by officers from the Kentucky State Police, KSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, the Whitley County EMS, the Emlyn Fire Department, the Williamsburg Fire Department, the South Whitley Fire Department, the Patterson Creek Fire Department, the Goldbug Fire Department and the Whitley County Coroner’s Office.

The earlier crash, which had traffic backed up happened about 1:30 p.m. near the 1-mile marker.

Upon arrival and through investigation Officer Steven Douglas with the Kentucky State Police-Vehicle Enforcement learned that 62 year old James B Hamilton of Bucyrus Ohio was south on I-75 when his tractor trailer collided with another tractor trailer being operated by 47 year old Steven Savurdich of East Concord New York.

The impact forced several thousand pounds of salami sandwich meat to be scattered onto the interstate. Clean up crews worked for nearly 3 hours to clean the sandwich meat and debris from the roadway.

Hamilton was air lifted from the scene and taken to The University Of Tennessee Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Drugs and alcohol are not suspected factors in the collision and seat belt usage is not known at this time.

Assisting on scene: CVE Sgt Mike Taylor, CVE officers Duffy Sutton, David Burton. Kentucky State Trooper Mike Witt. Whitley CO EMS, South Whitley Fire Department, Whitley Co Emergency Management and Kentucky Highway Department. Officer Steven Douglas continues the investigation.