Rutherford County, TN – Two persons died in a multi-vehicle crash at 4:42AM Saturday (12/21/2024) morning on I-24 westbound (traveling toward Nashville) at mile marker 70 (Almaville Rd., Smyrna).
Tennessee Highway Patrol CIO, Sgt. Andrew Perez, told WGNS that a 2015 KIA Soul was traveling in the wrong direction (eastbound) in the westbound lane of I-24. and crashed head-on with a 2014 Ford Explorer along with a 2013 Honda CRV.
43-year old Juan Jesus De Leon Palala, driver of the KIA, as well as Nicholas Barycz, the 34-year-old driver of the pickup truck, both died at-the-scene.
Persons in the Honda CRV were from Florida. They included the driver, 33-year old Taylor Hart and 34-year-old Lucas Bihary. In addition, there was a 5-year-old female. There were no injuries in the Honda.
Everyone in all vehicles were wearing safety belts.
Another Crash Harding Place in Nashville when the Fatal Crash was cleared
About the same time the interstate was reopened in Smyrna, another multi-vehicle crash occurred in Nashville, about 14-miles down the road (mile marker 56.4). This too was in the westbound lane and it blocked 4-lanes of traffic along with the exit ramp.
As a result, motorists who were freed from the Smyrna crash, moved a little and suddenly found themselves in another bumper-to-bumper situation.
Good news for those in that area, the THP has all vehicles off the interstate and parked in the westbound right shoulder. Traffic is flowing at a moderate speed through this area.
NewsRadio WGNS will keep you informed.
Below Photo: Second Saturday morning I-24 westbound crash near Harding Place is on the shoulder and traffic is moving at moderate speed through the area.
