Fatal Accident On I-40

An accident on I-40 in Jefferson County on Monday resulted in the death of a Newport man. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 32 year old Brandon Large of Newport was driving an Isuzu box truck eastbound on I-40 near mile marker 429 just before the Cocke County line. Large was following a semi-truck driven by 27 year old Thadnesha Oliver of Memphis. Oliver slowed down her semi as she approached a construction zone, but Large did not slow down and ran his box truck into the right rear corner of the trailer. He was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the semi was not injured and no citations were given. Toxicology reports have been ordered for both drivers…

In the opinion of the state trooper, if Brandon Large had been wearing a seatbelt it would not have changed the outcome of that fatal crash. Traffic on I-40 was backed up for a time yesterday afternoon as crews worked to clear that accident.