Single-vehicle crash leaves two injured, snares traffic along I-75

Photo by Timothy Wyatt

A single-vehicle crash along I-75 near Exit 11 sent two people to the hospital Thursday afternoon, with both having to be airlifted due to extensive injuries.

According to officers with Williamsburg Police Department, a 1979 GMC truck was traveling northbound on I-75 between Jellico and Williamsburg when two of the back tires simultaneously experienced a blow out, causing the driver to lose control and roll over into the median.

Both the driver, identified as Ezra Lanham, 67, of Corbin, and the passenger, identified as Donnie Naill, 70, of Corbin, received various injuries during the crash. Both were transported from the scene by Whitley EMS to Kentucky Splash Waterpark, where the Williamsburg Fire Department created an emergency landing zone.

The two were flown separately by two different PHI helicopters to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. As of right now, their conditions are unknown.

The call was initially received regarding the crash at approximately 12:13 p.m. All lanes of northbound and southbound interstate traffic were slowed to a crawl for nearly 45 minutes due to the crash.