Hazmat MVC Shuts Down I-24 During Rush Hour CHATTANOOGA, TENN – At around 4:30 PM, Friday, June 15, 2007, the Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a reported motor vehicle crash on Interstate 24 in an area known as the ridge cut.  I-24 as it passes through a cut in the mountain curves sharply at the top of a downhill slope, continues at a steep angle and then curves back the other way at the bottom of the cut.  This area, at the beginning of downtown Chattanooga, has been the site of many serious wrecks over the years, the majority due to speed.  Warning signs are posted and speed limits are lowered in the area but these signs are ignored by the majority of people. As various apparatus were being dispatched to the scene, more reports were received about the accident including reports of an overturned truck, entrapment, and propane bottles scattered across the roadway.   The normal response of two engine companies to an accident on the interstate was supplemented by two squads because of the entrapment.  With the report of an overturned truck with a cargo of propane, it also became a hazmat call and the appropriate apparatus responded for that. All of this occurred during rush hour.  Adding to the problem was limited access to the scene for emergency vehicles as traffic quickly backed up in the westbound lanes making it impossible for emergency crews to get to the scene.  Fire, police and EMS units had to enter the interstate the wrong way up an exit ramp to get behind the vehicle.  Once the roadway was blocked, additional pieces of equipment entered the Interstate further west and proceeded to the accident scene going east in the westbound lanes. Upon arrival, Engine 9 found four vehicles involved.  They were a Honda Civic, a Nissan Altima, a Chrsyler 300 and a truck carrying a large quantity of small propane tanks.  The truck was on its side and many of the tanks had spilled from the truck and were scattered on the roadway.  The two people inside the truck were unable to get out and were injured.  Firefighters with Engine 9 used glass saws to remove the windshield of the truck and free the trapped men.  One of them was an off duty Chattanooga firefighter.   Both of the men were treated at the scene and transported by Hamilton County EMS to Erlanger Hospital.   The extent of their injuries is unknown however they are not believed to be life threatening.  There were no other injuries as a result of the accident. Firefighters spent a considerable amount of time cleaning up the spilled bottles and removing the remainder from the overturned truck.  They then had to be reloaded onto another replacement truck.   Fortunately, firefighters did not find any broken bottles and no hazardous materials escaped.   Interstate 24 remained closed in the westbound direction for a considerable amount of time during the investigation and cleanup.  The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) help trucks assisted with traffic control.  Traffic westbound on the Interstate was backed up for several miles and also caused additional congestion on major side streets as motorists attempted to skirt the area.  I-75 northbound was also backed up for several miles as it merges with westbound I-24 only about two miles east of the accident scene. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time and is being investigated by the Chattanooga Police Department.