Wrong-way crash leaves six hurt

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Wrong-way crash leaves six hurt

Four adults and two children were hospitalized early Saturday after a crash involving a driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 24.

A Hispanic male was driving a black Dodge Ram west in the eastbound lanes of I-24 about 3:45 a.m. when the truck hit a Pontiac Torrent head-on, according to East Ridge public safety spokesman Erik Hopkins. A Hyundai following the Pontiac was unable to avoid the crash and also was involved. Passengers in the two vehicles were family members traveling together from Kentucky to Florida, police said.

An East Ridge police officer saw the crash near the South Seminole overpass and stopped to help. He stopped the Hispanic male, who was attempting to leave the scene, police said.

Police were unable to identify the man because he had two sets of identification with different names.

Police had not released names of the victims or the man who allegedly caused the crash by press time Saturday night.

Hopkins said the man has been charged with DUI, four counts of vehicular assault, six counts of reckless endangerment, violating the implied consent law and driving without a license. He is scheduled to appear in East Ridge Municipal Court at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Polk County crash injures two

Two people injured in a collision on U.S. Highway 64 in Polk County were airlifted to Erlanger hospital on Saturday, authorities said.

Both the injured were on a motorcycle that collided with a car about three miles east of state Highway 30, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

No names were available Saturday and the victims' conditions could not be learned.