Truck driver killed in crash off Interstate 75

A 53-year-old man died this afternoon when the tractor-trailer he was driving left Interstate 75 southbound near Athens, Tenn., hit a tree head on and burst into flames.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. at the 50-mile marker on I-75 South, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol accident report. Donald Barnes drove off the road, through a grassy area and into a tree.

A fire engulfed the cab of the truck and the entire trailer, the report states. Barnes' body was found in the cab of the vehicle.

Investigators do not think drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash, and no charges have been filed, according to the report.

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