A southbound Toyota 4Runner crashed into a tree in the median of Lafayette Drive Thursday morning, and the driver died on the way to a Knoxville hospital. Above, workers remove the tree from the road after the driver was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
The driver of a Toyota 4Runner died on the way to a Knoxville hospital Thursday morning after crashing into a tree on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge, authorities said.
The single-vehicle crash occurred at about 9:22 a.m. Thursday on Lafayette Drive between Hendrix Drive and South Illinois Avenue, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. The red sports utility vehicle was driving south when it left the roadway and struck a tree in the median between the southbound and northbound lanes.
“The driver was removed from the vehicle and was unresponsive when police and rescue arrived,” the ORPD said. “The driver of the vehicle expired while being transported to University of Tennessee Hospital. No further information will be released pending notification of family members, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
The driver has not been publicly identified. There was no one else in the vehicle, the ORPD said.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department also responded to the crash, and so did ambulance services. Traffic was temporarily redirected around the crash site.
The Oak Ridge Public Works Department also responded to cut up and remove the tree from the road.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Betsy Prine says
Saw this just seconds after it happened. First responders weren’t even there yet. So terribly tragic and such a harsh reminder that life is short so you better make every second count. Saying a prayer and thinking about this man’s family and friends.