A tractor-trailer crash caused a traffic backup at the Ridge Cut early Thursday afternoon.
Eastbound lanes were shut down temporarily.
East Ridge Police and Fire/Rescue responded at 1:35 p.m. to the incident between the South
Seminole Bridge and Germantown Road overpass.
Officers found a tractor trailer which had been traveling east on I-24 lost control and crashed. The cab of the truck had been torn from its frame and was lying in the westbound side of the interstate while the trailer was still on the east bound side.
As a result of the crash the truck's diesel tanks ruptured spilling approximately 75 gallons of diesel and oil.
East Ridge Fire/Rescue responded to the scene to stop the leak and contain the spill. The truck belonged to Werner Transport and that firm authorized a hazardous material cleanup company to clean up the spill and reopen the interstate.
The truck’s driver and a passenger were transported to Memorial Hospital by Puckett EMS with what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
East Ridge Police Traffic Investigators also responded to the scene and are working to determine what caused the crash. The weather is believed to a factor in the incident.