A collision between two tractor-trailers killed a Birchwood, Tenn., man early this morning on Interstate 75 in McMinn County, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The wreck occurred on the interstate's northbound lanes near mile marker 50, shortly before 3 a.m. and shut down the interstate for hours, according to the motor vehicle fatality report.
James Crittenden, 43, was traveling about 85 mph in the right lane when he struck a tractor-trailer running between 40 and 45 mph with its hazard lights on, the highway patrol said. Crittenden was killed.
The other truck was being driven by Phillip Coward, 59, of Detroit.
Crittenden's truck ended up going under Coward's, breaking open the trailer and spilling chicken feed onto I-75.
The trailer Crittenden was towing held medical waste, but the cargo was secure and did not spill onto the interstate, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesperson Dalya Qualls.
According the fatality report, no citations or criminal charges were issued, and neither driver tested positive for alcohol.