• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




Eight injured in motorcycle, car-semi crashes on I-75 in Anderson County

Posted at 7:05 pm September 10, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

ut-lifestar-helicopters-on-i-75-in-anderson-county-sept-20-2016-2

The UT Lifestar II helicopter and Lifestar IV helicopter are pictured at top right and bottom left on Interstate 75 in Anderson County on Saturday morning, Sept. 10, 2016, after one crash involving four motorcycles and another involving a semi and two other vehicles were reported. Authorities said eight people were injured in the two crashes. (Photo courtesy UT Lifestar)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:10 p.m. Sept. 11.

Six people were injured in one crash involving four motorcycles and two more were injured in a second crash involving two vehicles and a semi on Interstate 75 in Anderson County on Saturday morning, authorities said.

The two crashes occurred about 30 minutes apart in the northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 127, near Rocky Top (the former Lake City).

Two University of Tennessee Lifestar medical helicopters responded, and all four lanes were temporarily closed.

The first crash was reported at about 10:16 a.m, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol preliminary crash report.

Four Harley Davidson motorcycles were traveling north in one lane of I-75 at mile marker 127 when the first motorcycle, a 2003 model driven by George Suver, 70, left the right shoulder and then swerved back into the lane, the THP said.

Suver’s motorcycle then hit a 2004 Harley Davidson being driven by Neal Mutter, 62, causing both vehicles to crash, the THP said.

A third motorcycle, a 2012 Harley Davidson driven by Tom Kelly, 59, slowed down because of the crash of the first two motorcycles when he was hit from behind by a 2001 Harley Davidson driven by Howard Whitaker, 58.

All four riders were injured. So were two passengers, Patty Mutter, 60, who was on the second motorcycle, and Kathryn Kelly, 57, who was on the third.

The four motorcycle drivers and two passengers are from Springfield, Ohio, and all six were wearing helmets. No charges have been filed, the THP said.

The second crash, involving a semi and two other vehicles, was reported a half-hour later in the same area, at about 11:15 a.m. on southbound I-75 at mile marker 126.5.

The THP said a 2016 Kia Sportage driven by Bogoslaw Kiepek, 67, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a 1996 Jeep Cherokee driven by Thomas Holden, 57, of Lafollette, had slowed down for slower traffic ahead.

But a 2017 Freightliner truck tractor driven by Michael Kalebic, 62, of Las Vegas, was unable to stop, the THP said. It hit the Kia in the rear, and the Kia was pushed into the Jeep Cherokee, according to a preliminary crash report.

The Jeep Cherokee went off the left side of the road and stopped in the median.

Kiepek, who was in the Kia, was injured. So was a passenger, Arlene Kiepek, 69, of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kalebic, the truck driver, was not injured. Neither was Holden, who was in the Jeep Cherokee.

All four people involved in that second crash were wearing seat belts, and no charges have been filed, the THP said.

Besides the THP, other law enforcement agencies that responded included Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, and Medford Volunteer Fire Department. The Tennessee Department of Transportation also responded with personnel and its HELP truck.

“Due to the number of injured, Campbell County EMS also responded with an ambulance for mutual aid,” said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy. Anderson County EMS sent three ambulances and their shift supervisors.

Lucas said a third Lifestar helicopter was launched but canceled.

He said two of the injured were taken to area hospitals by Lifestar, four by Anderson County EMS, and two by Campbell County EMS.

Emergency crews were at the crash site for about an hour-and-a-half, Lucas said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Campbell County, Front Page News, Medford, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories, UT Lifestar Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, Arlene Kiepek, Bogoslaw Kiepek, Campbell County EMS, crash, George Suver, Howard Whitaker, I-75, Interstate 75, Kathryn Kelly, Mark Lucas, Medford Volunteer Fire Department, medical helicopter, Michael Kalebic, Neal Mutter, Patty Mutter, Rocky Top, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Thomas Holden, THP, Tom Kelly, University of Tennessee Lifestar, UT Lifestar

Advertisements

 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Police and Fire News

Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday

Robin Smith Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith will speak to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday. The meeting will be virtual, conducted online, because of COVID-19. It is scheduled to start at noon … [Read More...]

U.S. Department of Energy Logo

Controlled burns start this week on DOE land

The U.S. Department of Energy is starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation this week. The controlled burns could continue through mid-April, depending upon weather. The … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge man charged with second robbery

Tyrone Partridge An Oak Ridge man has been charged with a second robbery, this one of a gas station in Claxton. Partridge, 43, had already been charged by the Oak Ridge Police Department this month with the robbery … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge Police Department Badge

Oak Ridge man arrested after alleged store robbery

An Oak Ridge man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly robbing the J & C Market on East Tennessee Avenue, police said. Tyrone N. Partridge, 43, reportedly displayed a handgun and demanded the contents of the … [Read More...]

Woman dies in Clinton crash

A 37-year-old woman died in a two-vehicle crash in Clinton on Friday, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. The head-on collision was reported Friday evening on North Main Street in front of the Anderson County Health … [Read More...]

More Police and Fire

Recent Posts

  • Protesters will say nuclear weapons illegal under UN treaty
  • VITA Tax Center opens Feb. 9
  • Roane State temporarily closes Coffey-McNally Building
  • TVA will blast rock to build substation
  • Council to consider accepting airport grants
  • Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday
  • Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will feature ORHS principal
  • Controlled burns start this week on DOE land
  • Current status of city facilities due to COVID
  • Rep. Fleischmann tests positive for COVID

Recent Comments

  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Tracy Powers on Planning Commission to consider Main Street apartments, plan revisions
  • johnhuotari on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • Levi D. Smith on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • samuel hopwood on Housing: Apartments proposed on former AMSE site
  • Matt Bailey on Robin Smith named Oak Ridge police chief

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today