According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s preliminary report:

A multi-vehicle collision occurred on April 23, 2026, at approximately 3:30 PM on Interstate 40 in Cumberland County. The chain reaction began in the westbound lanes when a 2006 GMC Hummer H-3 (Vehicle 1), driven by 19-year-old Norah Prendergast, suffered a front tire blowout. As the Hummer slowed down, it was rear-ended by a 2017 Ford Escape (Vehicle 2) driven by Thomas Leaders. The impact caused the Ford Escape to rotate and strike a guardrail, while the Hummer continued forward, striking a 2023 Dodge Ram Van (Vehicle 3) in the rear before overturning in the median.

The collision escalated further when the Dodge Ram Van went airborne and crossed into the eastbound lanes of the interstate. While in the eastbound lanes, the van was struck by the rear of a 2017 Freightliner (Vehicle 4) and then collided head-on with a 2026 Cadillac XT5 (Vehicle 5) driven by Brian Deshaes.

The incident resulted in multiple injuries across the involved vehicles. In Vehicle 1, both the driver and her 18-year-old passenger, Emma Rankin, were injured. Both occupants of Vehicle 2—Thomas Leaders and a 1-year-old passenger, Wendell Leaders—sustained injuries. Additionally, the driver of the Dodge Ram Van (Joseph Johnson) and both occupants of the Cadillac (Brian and Lisa Deshaes) were injured. The driver of the Freightliner, Edward Pugh, was the only individual reported uninjured. All parties involved were reportedly wearing seat belts or proper restraints at the time of the crash.