The driver who died in the Monday afternoon crash on State Route 95 in southwest Oak Ridge has been identified as Ralph Connor, age 78, of Oliver Springs, authorities said.
The crash remains under investigation, and no other details are being released right now, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release Tuesday.
Connor was driving a red Mercury Sable south on State Route 95 at about 1:57 p.m. Monday when he reportedly crossed the center line and hit a semi truck trailer.
Connor was taken by ambulance to Fort Loudoun Medical Center in Lenoir City, where he later died from his injuries, the City of Oak Ridge said Monday. The Sable had a disabled driver or passenger license plate, although it wasn’t clear if Connor had a medical issue before the crash.
The crash was on a hilly, curvy section of road near the entrance to the TRU Waste Processing Center north of Interstate 40. The area is south of the western entrance to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
A third vehicle involved in the crash, a dark-colored Saturn Astra car, went off the roadway from the northbound lane, but did not hit the Mercury Sable sedan or the semi truck, the press release said. No other injuries were reported.
The semi truck appeared to be northbound, and it appeared to have a missing or damaged tire on a left rear axle, although it wasn’t clear if that was because of the crash. The truck was parked a short distance down the hill from the crash site.
State Route 95 was closed for a little more than two hours while the Oak Ridge Police Department and additional agencies, including the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Oak Ridge Fire Department, responded to the crash scene.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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