UPDATE (August 19, 2024, 3:40 p.m.): The victims from the fatal crash that happened early Saturday morning on I-40 East have been identified as Lee Boone, 76 of Virginia, and Juan Carlos Herrera Gomez, 45 of Knoxville. Gomez was the passerby who stopped to assist Boone, who was involved in the initial collision.

A woman who was involved in the initial collision and remains hospitalized was suspected of being under the influence, and has been charged with DUI. It is believed that she was rear-ended by Boone, which caused the initial crash that preceded the second collision involving the Priority Ambulance.

The crash remains under investigation by KPD crash reconstruction personnel. Upon completion of the investigation, the case file will be turned over to the Knox County District Attorney’s Office for review.

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Two people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash that happened early Saturday morning on I-40 East.

At just after 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to I-40 East just west of Midway Road. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others suffered varying severity of injuries.

Based on the investigation conducted at the scene, it is believed that the following occurred. Two eastbound vehicles were involved in a rear-end crash. Vehicle one came to rest in a lane of travel on I-40 East after the initial collision. Vehicle two overturned, rolled across all three lanes and off of the road before coming to rest in the median.

Immediately after the initial crash, a passerby stopped to assist vehicle one when that vehicle was struck by a Priority Ambulance that was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. The ambulance was traveling from Knoxville to Cocke County.

The driver in vehicle one and the passerby who had stopped to help were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver in vehicle two was ejected from the car during the initial crash, and was transported to the UT Medical Center with severe injuries. That driver was potentially under the influence, and charges are possibly pending.

There were no patients in the ambulance at the time of the crash. The driver and passenger suffered minor injuries.

The crash remains under active investigation by KPD crash reconstruction personnel.