RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — One person is injured and one person is dead following a car crash on I-24 in Rutherford County Friday evening.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that the incident occurred around 7:00 p.m.
Diego Gomez, 49, was driving a 2004 Honda Civic east on I-24 near mile marker 72. Yair Moctezuma de Jesus, 43, of Georgia, was driving a 2024 Volvo Tractor truck next to the Civic.
For an unknown reason, Gomez ran the Civic off the right side of the roadway and over-corrected before losing all control of the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop, facing the wrong way, and Gomez tried to get over to the left shoulder of the interstate when the tractor-truck swerved to avoid a collision.
The tractor truck struck the Civic and both vehicles came to a rest in the center median.
Gomez died as a result of injuries from the accident, while his 23-year-old passenger, Salvador Lopez Orellana was injured.
Moctezuma de Jesus was not injured in the accident.
No further information is available at this time.
I always say storytelling is a team sport, and a key part of the NewsChannel 5 team is our photojournalists. They are nationally recognized for their talents, more importantly, they are also great people. Enjoy this peek behind the lens, get to know them, and see some of their most notable work of 2025!
- Carrie Sharp
