A Saturday morning motor vehicle accident on U.S. 127 near Catoosa Ridge Drive resulted in a rear-end collision involving two vehicles and multiple minor passengers.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:33 AM on September 5, 2026. According to accident reports, 30-year-old Christopher Dewayne Hodge of Tennessee was driving a 1992 Chevrolet Lumina southbound on U.S. 127 when he failed to maintain a safe distance and followed too closely.

Ahead of him, 37-year-old Barbara Jean Laughter, also of Tennessee, was operating a 2024 Kia minivan carrying five minor passengers (P1 through P5). As Laughter’s vehicle began slowing to a stop to accommodate traffic ahead, Hodge’s Chevrolet struck the rear end of the Kia.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 127 N and Catoosa Ridge Drive following the collision. No critical injuries were immediately detailed in the initial dispatch logs, but the crash caused temporary traffic disruptions along the southbound corridor. Authorities remind motorists to maintain adequate stopping distances, particularly when traveling behind vehicles carrying families and children.