DETAILS RELEASED ON YESTERDAY’S FATAL CRASH ON I-40 IN PUTNAM COUNTY
On December 9, 2025, a deadly multi-vehicle crash occurred on Interstate 40 West near mile marker 277 in Baxter in Putnam County, shutting down the westbound lanes for several hours.
According to a preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol report, the incident began when a tour bus, driven by 54-year-old Huang Yisong of New York, rear-ended a tractor-trailer. The tour bus was subsequently struck from behind by another tractor-trailer, causing it to veer into another lane, where it was hit by a Volkswagen Jetta.
The driver of the second tractor-trailer, 31-year-old Kerry Smith of Tennessee, was killed in the crash. Yisong and the driver of the Volkswagen were injured, while no further details on other potential injuries have been released.
Charges are pending against the tour bus driver, and the investigation is ongoing.
