ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two tractor-trailers caught fire after a crash that ultimately shut down I-65 North for several hours Tuesday morning in Robertson County.
The crash happened at 6:27 a.m. near mile marker 105, just north of the Bethel Road exit, according to a preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) report.
THP said a 2019 International tractor that was driven by a 48-year-old from Georgia failed to stay in its lane and struck the back of a 2020 Freightliner that had broken down and was stopped on the right shoulder.
The Freightliner’s driver is a 34-year-old from Rhode Island. They were inside the truck’s sleeping area when it was hit. Both trucks caught fire after the collision, according to the report.
The Georgia driver was injured, while the Rhode Island driver was not. No charges were listed in the preliminary report.
Smokey Barn News reported one of the trucks was carrying paper products that spilled across the interstate and caught fire. Only minor injuries were reported, according to Robertson County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Austin Bogle.
Traffic was diverted from I-65 North at Exit 104 while crews extinguished the fire, cleared the wreckage and removed debris.
All lanes reopened around 11:05 a.m., according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Crews plan to return at 8 p.m. Tuesday to continue recovery work, which is expected to require the right lane to close again.
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