A tragic accident occurred on Interstate 81 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, on March 26, when a tractor-trailer operated by a 60-year-old New York resident, Saul A. Carrera, collided with a van parked on the side of the road. The collision resulted in the deaths of four individuals and left one person seriously injured.
The victims, all male, were in the process of fixing a flat tire when the Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by Carrera struck them before sideswiping a nearby Chevrolet Express van. Following the impact, the tractor-trailer continued a short distance before jackknifing and ultimately overturning, according to the Kingsport police.
The deceased were identified as Jose Urbano Serrano Ramos, 25, from Crossville, Alabama; Jesse James Delacruz, 49, from Fayetteville, Tennessee; an unidentified man; and a 17-year-old from Crossville. Another 17-year-old from Gadsden, Alabama, was critically injured and transported to a hospital, where his condition was later stabilized.
Kingsport police suspect that Carrera was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash based on their observations and evidence collected at the scene. Carrera faces multiple charges, including four counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication, aggravated reckless assault, operating a commercial vehicle while intoxicated, felony reckless endangerment, and failing to use reasonable care.
Carrera, who sustained injuries in the accident, was taken to a hospital for treatment before being held at the Sullivan County Jail. He appeared for a preliminary hearing on April 4, where two Kingsport police officers testified, and dash cam footage from the tractor-trailer was presented. Carrera is scheduled to reappear in court on June 9.
Roadside accidents involving people changing tires are not uncommon and can often lead to serious injuries or fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 737 tire-related crash deaths in the United States in 2017. While this statistic includes various tire-related issues, it highlights the potential danger of roadside tire maintenance. Furthermore, a study by AAA found that over a four-year period, nearly 200,000 crashes occurred due to debris on US roadways, with tire-related debris being a common cause.
