Several people were killed when a small airplane crashed on the side of Interstate 40 in Nashville Monday night, prompting the closure of the roadway as officials investigate, police said.
“A single-engine airplane has crashed off the eastbound lanes of I-40 just past the Charlotte (Pike) exit. Several persons on board are deceased. Work continues to determine from where the plane originated,” the Metro Nashville Police Department said in a post on X.
Witness video shows an aircraft engulfed in flames and smoke, and images shared by police capture the aircraft’s mangled frame surrounded by first responders on a grassy roadside.
Live traffic cameras also showed a large emergency vehicle response blocking all eastbound travel lanes near the crash site and a string of gridlocked traffic leading up to the shut-down stretch of I-40 East.
The crash has prompted the closure of I-40 East at mile marker 202, Tennessee Department of Transportation Region 3 spokeswoman Rebekah Hammonds said on X.
One of the eastbound lanes is expected to reopen later Monday night and two lanes should be open before rush hour Tuesday morning, police said. Commuters should still anticipate slow traffic and delays early Tuesday, the department warned.
“If you’re traveling tonight find an alternate route,” Hammonds said, adding the investigation will be ongoing.
