UPDATE: October 7, 2019:
It is with earnest sorrow for his family and friends that the Department confirms the death of Mr. Yuniel Reyes Abreu. On Friday, October 4, Mr. Abreu succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the October 3 crash on I-65 in Franklin.
UPDATE: October 4, 2019:
All lanes re-opened at approximately 4:50, Thursday afternoon.
The driver of the semi, 25-year-old Yuniel Reyes Abreu, of Florida, remains in critical condition at Vanderbilt. The SUV originally thought to have been struck by the truck’s trailer was determined to have been struck by part of the truck’s load. Injuries related to that vehicle were minor.
A northbound vehicle was struck by flying debris and suffered minor damage — there were no injuries to anyone in that car.
The semi was pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with several steel rings and a large block of metal weighing about 10 tons.
Call Franklin Police if you witnessed the crash
or the events leading up to it: (615) 794-2513.
October 3, 2019: At 12:20 this afternoon emergency personnel responded to I-65 S at Murfreesboro Road after reports came in of a semi that had crashed and caught fire. Officers determined that the southbound semi, which was pulling a lightly-loaded flatbed, hit a roadside overpass support column before losing control and bursting into flames. The driver was able to escape, but was seriously burned. He was airlifted to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he is receiving treatment. A second vehicle was struck by the truck’s trailer during the crash but no one else was seriously injured.
As a precaution, the Murfreesboro Rd (96E) overpass was temporarily closed until a TDOT Bridge Inspector confirmed the bridge was safe for vehicles.
Current situation:
I-65 S traffic is being forced off at Murfreesboro Road, re-entering the Interstate via the Murfreesboro Rd/I-65 southbound entrance ramp. Cleanup is underway, but it has yet to be determined when the Interstate will re-open. Motorists are strongly advised to seek an I-65 alternate. Area alternates are also growing increasingly congested.
Updates will be made via @FranklinTNPD Twitter.