Dunlap Woman Drives Wrong Way On I-24; Strikes 7 Vehicles

  • Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Rachel Lynn Hicks
Rachel Lynn Hicks

A Dunlap, Tn., woman is facing multiple charges after authorities said she struck seven different vehicles during a police pursuit from Highway 27 to I-24. At one point she was driving the wrong way on the freeway.

Finally taken into custody was Rachel Lynn Hicks, 41, of 87 McGlothen Lane, Dunlap.

At 7:25 p.m., deputies were alerted that a red pickup truck had hit a silver sedan in the 1400 block of Highway 27 south. The same truck hit another vehicle around 600 Highway 27. The truck fled the scene of those crashes.

A deputy observed the truck had front end damage and was riding on only two tires. The vehicle would not stop and continued south on Highway 27 at speeds of 45-60 mph. The deputy said the vehicle was switching between all three lanes.

As the vehicle approached I-24, a deputy tried a P.I.T. maneuver. However, the red pickup sped on and struck a white Dodge Ram. It then began going westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-24. It struck a black Nissan Rogue head-on and that caused the Nissan to strike a semi-truck. 

Finally, two sheriff cars were able to pin the pickup against the median.

Ms. Hicks had to be pulled from the vehicle.

Authorities said no one was hurt in either the five civilian vehicles or the two patrol vehicles involved. Ms. Hicks was taken straight to jail.

She said she had consumed two 20-ounce bottles of alcohol.

The occupants of the Nissan Rogue said they were scared for their lives. The crash was so violent that their air bags deployed. 

The driver of the Dodge Ram said she was terrified because he had children in the vehicle. 

 

 

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