THP: I-81 crash on Saturday involving 3 tractor-trailers was due to runaway tires

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A crash involving three tractor-trailers on Interstate 81 Saturday was due to one of the trucks losing tires off of an axle, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) reports.

A crash report from the THP said a 2019 Freightliner and 2021 Freightliner were both traveling northbound on I-81 near mile marker 70 at around 1:58 p.m. when the 2019 truck “lost a set of wheels off one of the trailer axles,” the report states.

The 2021 Freightliner reportedly swerved to avoid the set of wheels and struck the cable barrier, where it came to a stop, according to the report.

A third tractor-trailer that was parked on the northbound shoulder was struck by the runaway tires, the THP said.

The 2019 Freightliner continued into Virginia before stopping, according to the report. No charges were filed and no injuries were reported, the report said.

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