Six Campbell Countians escape injury in Jellico Mountain wreck

TOP PHOTO: Traffic was backed up for miles following a chain reaction wreck on I-75 south of Jellico on Thursday.

JELLICO, TN (WLAF) – Some details of Thursday’s chain reaction wreck on I-75 south of Jellico are being released by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.  The mishap occurred just after 4:00 pm at Mile Marker 155 in the southbound lanes according to Trooper Michael Freels’ 29-page preliminary report.

It was cloudy and foggy while light conditions were described as dusk by the trooper.  All-in-all, seven total vehicles were involved.  Out of the 17 occupants, there was one person injured.

Traci Morgan of Jellico was driving her Ford Explorer and ended up being involved in the chain reaction accident.  Morgan had five teenagers with her, and everyone was uninjured based on the THP report.

Trooper Freels details in his preliminary report that all vehicles were southbound on I-75 when an 18-wheeler began to slow down due to heavy traffic ahead and heavy fog.  Another big rig attempted to stop and could not impacting a guard rail and then the other 18-wheeler.  From there, five other vehicles, including another tractor trailer, could not stop in time to avoid a collision.

In a second preliminary report, Trooper Trevor Nolan outlines that moments later, four other vehicles crashed as a result of the initial chain reaction.  Two vehicles were stopped, one being a big rig, when two other vehicles could not avoid colliding into them.  Three people were injured in this following wreck.

According to TDOT, traffic eventually backed up into Kentucky with both southbound lanes closed. One lane opened around 7 pm Thursday night with both lanes reopening after 8 pm. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 02/20/2021-2:30PM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK NAGI WITH TDOT)