EDITOR’S NOTE: Alex McMahan photographed the carnage on Interstate 75 on Dec. 11, 1990, for the Chattanooga Free Press. Here, 20 years later, he describes his thoughts and observations in the aftermath of the 99-car pileup that killed 12 people.
Horrific is the first word that comes to mind in trying to describe what I saw when I stood on that bridge and looked out over Interstate 75 at the massive pileup 20 years ago north of Cleveland, Tenn.
I also remember the frustrating moments before I walked out onto the overpass, as I was refused entry to the scene of this carnage for well over an hour.
My press credentials were, for a while, no help in getting past the roadblocks. Local police, state troopers and rescue personnel were being tested in ways I bet few, if any, ever had been before. They were trying to do their best to handle what looked like something from a war zone.
I ended up driving a 60-mile loop around this section of I-75 before finally gaining access to the wreck scene. The frustration was put into its proper perspective and quickly melted away after I shot the first few photos from that bridge.