The Oak Ridge Police Department investigates a crash between a motorcycle and a city electric truck at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2016. The electric truck is in the background at right. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 p.m.
AÂ 21-year-old motorcyclist was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville after crashing into an Oak Ridge Electric Department utility truck at the intersection of Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike on Sunday morning, authorities said.
The motorcyclist, identified as Brandon W. Wyrick of Clinton, was going north on a 1999 Yamaha V-Star on Illinois Avenue when he did not stop at a red light at Oak Ridge Turnpike, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report.
The Electric Department’s 2011 Freightliner was going south on Oak Ridge Turnpike and was legally going through the intersection at Illinois Avenue when Wyrick failed to stop, the THP said. The motorcycle hit the right front side of the utility truck.
Wyrick was treated at the crash site and taken to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge by an Anderson County EMS ambulance. He was then flown to UT Medical Center by a Lifestar helicopter, the Oak Ridge Police Department said in a press release.
Wyrick’s condition was reported to be critical at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, according to UT Medical Center.
The driver of the Electric Department truck was not injured. He was identified as 28-year-old Stephen Hutton of Lenoir City.
The crash was reported at about 6:55 a.m. Sunday. The intersection was closed for more than three hours, and it re-opened at about 10:40 a.m.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigates a crash between a motorcycle and an Oak Ridge Electric Department utility truck at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2016. Pictured above with the THP troopers is, at right, Oak Ridge Deputy Police Chief Robin Smith. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol was called to the scene by the Oak Ridge Police Department to investigate the crash. THP and ORPD both investigated.
The Oak Ridge Public Works Department assisted with lane closures and detours.
The THP report said Wyrick was wearing a helmet, but charges are pending for traffic light and motorcycle endorsement violations.
Hutton, the city employee, was wearing a seat belt and was not injured, the THP said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said a 1999 Yamaha V-Star motorcycle was involved in a crash with a truck, a 2011 Freightliner Oak Ridge Electric Department utility truck, at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A 2011 Freightliner Oak Ridge Electric Department utility truck was involved in a crash with a motorcycle at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Police Department investigates a crash between a motorcycle and an Oak Ridge Electric Department utility truck at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2016. Pictured above from left are ORPD Officer Tim Nguyen, Police Chief Jim Akagi, and Acting Lieutenant Carl Webb. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
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johnhuotari says
Note: This story has been updated with information from a THP report.
Jeff Culver says
Turnpike runs east to west. How was the truck going south on turnpike.
johnhuotari says
Hi, Jeff.
We’ve had two questions about the directions included in the THP report. Both questions said the Turnpike runs east and west.
Based on what I saw at the crash site and the THP report, my best guess is that THP meant Brandon Wyrick was going northwest on the motorcycle on Illinois Avenue, toward Oliver Springs, and Stephen Hutton was going southeast on Oak Ridge Turnpike in the Oak Ridge Electric Department truck, toward Kingston.
Here’s the specific language that describes the crash in the THP report. I have added the information in parentheses.
Vehicle No. 1 (the motorcycle) was traveling North on Hwy 62 (Illinois Avenue), when the driver failed to stop at a red traffic light. Vehicle No. 2 (the Oak Ridge Electric Department truck) was traveling South on Hwy 95 (Oak Ridge Turnpike), and as driver No. 2 legally traveled through the intersection of Hwy 62, the driver of Vehicle No. 1 failed to stop and struck the right front side of Vehicle No. 2. The area of impact was in the left south bound traffic lane of Hwy 95. After the initial crash Vehicle No. 1 came to a non-controlled final rest in the south bound right traffic lane of Hwy 95 (the motorcycle was in the righthand lane of Oak Ridge Turnpike headed toward Kingston). Vehicle No. 2 traveled forward and came to a controlled final rest on the south bound shoulder of Hwy 95 (the utility truck was in the vacant lot on the right side of Oak Ridge Turnpike as you head toward Kingston, just past Illinois Avenue). Driver No. 1 was transported to U.T Medical by Life Star.
I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
John
Philip W Nipper says
John, at first, I also thought that THP got it wrong and I was confused about the compass directions like another reader was. However, just like our interstate system, most if not all of our nation’s north-south state highways are odd numbered and east-west are even numbered. As in our highway 95 (Oak Ridge Turnpike) it is true that the general direction through Oak Ridge is basically east to west, however as a whole it is a north-south road. As for state route 62, it generally runs north-south through Oak Ridge ie, (North and South IL Ave) but other sections of the highway such as Oak Ridge Highway / Western Ave, generally run east-west hence the even numbered designation. Hope this explanation clears it up for folks.
johnhuotari says
Thank you, Philip.
I knew the north-south interstates were odd-numbered and the east-west even-numbered, but I hadn’t thought about the numbering system of state highways in Tennessee. That’s good to know.
A little off topic, but delivery drivers in one of the states I’ve lived in (I think it was Colorado) used an acronym called NOWSEE (North-Odd-West, South-East-Even) to help find houses. Homes on the north and west side of the street would be even-numbered, and homes on the east and south would be even. It seems like the opposite is true here, with Oak Ridge High School, for example, an even-numbered address on Oak Ridge Turnpike and Oak Ridge Civic Center an odd-numbered address.
Jeff Culver says
Nothing like when the state boy’s get involved.