What This Story Is About
- I-40 stretch in Roane County seeing extremely high volume of 911 calls and over 900 crashes in the last three years.
Why It Matters
- Ambulances are being tied up on highway crashes and can’t reach other 911 calls around the county.
- TDOT and THP are working to add signage and increase presence.
ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) – Emergency crews in Roane County have responded to 965 crashes along a 23-mile stretch of I-40 through the Oak Ridge corridor over the past three years, and county leaders say the volume is straining the county’s ability to respond to calls elsewhere.
Last year alone, emergency agencies responded to more than 1,700 incidents on that stretch of highway. So far this year, crews have already logged over 900.
EMA Director Tim Suter said when crews are committed to the interstate, they cannot respond to calls in the surrounding community…