Victim Identified from Fatal Crash on I-40 West (February 21, 2022, 9 a.m.)
The victim from the fatal crash that occurred on Friday afternoon on I-40 West near Strawberry Plains Pike has been identified as Luann Backman, 68 of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The investigation revealed that the two involved SUVs, a Toyota Sequoia and Lexus RX5, were traveling westbound on I-40 West. The Toyota Sequoia, which was being driven by Backman, was behind the Lexus when it attempted to pass on the left shoulder. The Toyota then swerved back to the right and clipped the front of the Lexus. Both SUVs struck the guardrail, but the Toyota went over it and rolled over. The victim was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. She was transported to the UT Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time after her arrival.
The Lexus RX5 was occupied by three people and none reported any injuries.
The crash remains under investigation by KPD Crash Reconstruction investigators.
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At around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 18, 2022, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a crash on I-40 West near the Strawberry Plains Pike exit.
Based on the preliminary investigation at the scene, two SUVs that were traveling westbound on I-40 West collided. One of the involved SUVs flipped over the guardrail and the driver was ejected from the SUV. The driver was transported to the UT Medical Center and died shortly after arrival. No other injuries were reported in the crash.
KPD Crash Reconstruction investigators responded and are continuing to process the scene at this time. The cause of the crash remains under investigation and additional information will be provided when it becomes available.
Lane closures remain in place, but I-40 West is expected to reopen completely in approximately one hour.