Deadly Knoxville Crash Kills Two, Causes Chain Reaction on I-40
Esther Congdon, 79, and her husband, Richard Congden, 79, of Knoxville, Tennessee, were both fatally injured in a Tennessee car crash on Interstate 40 Sunday, June 3, 2012.
Mrs. Congden, the driver of a Ford Taurus, was traveling East on I-40, between Papermill Drive and the I-640 interchange, when her vehicle began to swerve erratically. According to the Knoxville Police Department, her vehicle hit an inside lane concrete median head-on. She was declared dead at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Richard Congden, the passenger, suffered serious injuries as well and was transported to the same hospital where he later died as a result of these injuries.
Knoxville Police Department spokesman, Darrell Debusk, said, “It is unknown at this point if the driver suffered a medical problem that may have contributed to the crash. The driver was not wearing a seat belt. It is undetermined if the passenger was wearing a seat belt.” As of now, no cause for the crash has been identified.
The accident began a chain reaction that shut down the two eastbound lanes, backing up traffic and injuring five other people. Before the Taurus driven by Esther Congden struck the median, it hit a Toyota Avalon driven by Eric Thorson, 59, who was not injured.
When a Mustang slowed for the traffic congestion, a motorcyclist, Chester Justice, 59, hit the rear of the Mustang. Justice’s passenger, Jan Donnelly, 60, was thrown from the bike into the rear window of the car. Both were taken to the UT Medical Center, and Justice was charged with careless driving and no proof of insurance.
Next, the Mustang, driven by Phillip White, 20, struck a Dodge pickup driven by Anthony Cox, 30. White was taken to the hospital, but it is not known if Cox was injured.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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