December 1st, 2011
01:48 PM ET

1 dead, 16 injured in Tenn. crashes involving 176 cars

[Updated at 1:48 p.m. ET] One person was killed and 16 others injured Thursday in three separate chain-reaction crashes involving 176 cars north of Nashville, authorities said.

Heavy fog and black ice were thought to have contributed to the crashes on State Highway 386 in Sumner County, said county emergency medical services Capt. Vincent Riley.

The incidents began just before 8 a.m. ET, when a car ran off the highway and caused a chain reaction accident in "heavy, heavy fog," he said.

At least one school bus, with children aboard, was involved in the crashes, he said. None of the children were injured.

The man who died was driving a compact car that went under a semitrailer, Riley said. The 16 people transported to local hospitals were not critically injured, he said.

The highway remained closed throughout most of the day as authorities attempted to clear the wreckage. As of Thursday afternoon, one side of the highway was still blocked with 50 cars that were not driveable and must be towed, Riley said.

A fog advisory was not in effect for the area at the time of the crashes, said CNN meteorologist Sarah Dillingham, but the heavy fog could have been a localized event.

- CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

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Filed under: Tennessee
soundoff (81 Responses)
  1. s kel

    this sucks, TN is a beautiful state, I feel for the famlies of the ones involved in this terriable mishap.

    December 2, 2011 at 1:37 am | Report abuse |
    • bridog

      thank you for posting one good comment on this whole web page.

      December 7, 2011 at 10:52 am | Report abuse |
  2. ron

    @banasy, chrissy. Though I dont comment on here, Im compelled to say how much I pity the small-minded troll who can only feel better about themself by hurting others. Perhaps you can find it in yourselves to join me in praying for this pathetically " little" person.

    December 2, 2011 at 7:15 am | Report abuse |
  3. chrissy

    @ ron, yup! and i pray god takes pity on before banasy gets a hold of him. i also pray he doesnt have children cuz i can only imagine the shame they must feel having that individual for a parent! and last i pray he rots in hell one day!

    December 2, 2011 at 8:59 am | Report abuse |
    • True

      chrissy, you are definitely no better than anyone when you wish someone to rot in hell.

      December 2, 2011 at 11:40 pm | Report abuse |
  4. anaeliss

    In Driver Ed, don't they teach you never drive too close to a 18 wheelers? You could easily slide under one? Get your tiny car in the other lane. And what your hurry, the jobs will still be there even if you're late, blame it on the fog.

    December 2, 2011 at 9:06 am | Report abuse |
  5. ron petoskey

    @ banasy, chrissy. Though I dont comment on here I am compelled to say how much I pity someone who is so small-minded that they can only feel better about themself by being hurtful to others. Perhaps you can find it in yourselves to join me in praying for this " little" person , they obviously are in need of it.

    December 2, 2011 at 9:25 am | Report abuse |
  6. Herkimer Schwartz

    Morning chrissy
    How are you doing today ? Man, that was quite the onslaught yesterday. Hopefully today will be uneventful for you and banasy.

    December 2, 2011 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
  7. noemi

    I think all of u ppl posting need to taste your words before u post.And u all need to take your daily dose of xanax.what a joke u ppl r..

    December 3, 2011 at 11:13 am | Report abuse |
  8. Marsha

    It is ashame that people are so cruel God help them. It s no joke Thanking God that the lost of life wasnt more but God did bring a Blessing to the Auto Body repair shop. So to all Happy Holidays, I leaving from up North heading thru TN.

    December 3, 2011 at 2:24 pm | Report abuse |
  9. bridog

    screw all of you!!!!!!!!!!! tht crash was one persons fault so dont blame eneryone else noemi

    December 7, 2011 at 10:49 am | Report abuse |
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