Eight people injured in Jefferson County crash

UPDATE: Eight individuals, comprising four adults and four children, sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle collision that led to the closure of Interstate 81 in Jefferson County last Tuesday. One driver is now facing charges. As per a preliminary report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the driver of a minivan carrying five children made a risky maneuver at mile marker 1, resulting in a head-on crash with a pickup truck when the van crossed into northbound lanes. Two children and the van's driver were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, while three adults and two children from the pickup truck were also hospitalized. The minivan driver, a 33-year-old woman from Tennessee, has been charged with failure to be cautious and a violation of a traffic control device. Jefferson County, Tennessee — Traffic has returned to normal on Interstate 81 after a collision forced the closure of all northbound lanes. The incident, near mile marker 1, was reported at 3:22 p.m., leading to traffic being redirected to I-40 E per the Tennessee Department of Transportation SmartWay map. The roadway was reopened by approximately 4:30 p.m., with Dandridge Fire Chief Andy Riley confirming seven patients were transported via ambulance and a LifeStar helicopter dispatched to the scene. A clarification on any injury severity is pending.