• September 22, 2022

Rutherford County, TN — September 16, 2022, 23-year-old Haley Allen died in a collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 24 in Rutherford County.

Authorities say the incident happened Friday morning on I-24 near Church Street. Preliminary investigation suggests Allen entered the interstate the wrong direction from Church Street, then traveled against traffic some distance before colliding with a westbound Freightliner semi-truck owned by Amazon.

Allen died in the crash. The truck driver was unhurt.

The investigation continues. No further information is currently available.

Commentary on Haley Allen Accident in Rutherford County

Folks may see that the victim of this crash allegedly got on the highway headed the wrong way and say that the wreck, while clearly tragic, seems to be largely of her own doing. That's more or less the picture painted by the news, and while I don't have any specific reason to doubt the reported details I don't know if they really tell the whole story.

For instance, even if the victim traveled the wrong way on the interstate there's still the urgent question of why to answer. What happened that sent her eastward in the westbound lanes? Was she awake, alert, and committing her full attention to the road? Is signage in that area missing or confusing? Could anything else have contributed to the victim mistaking the exit ramp for an entrance? Once she was on the highway, was there any way for the truck driver to realistically avoid her oncoming vehicle?

None of those questions and the others like them that still need answers are about pointing fingers or arguing with police. I'm only saying what I always do: When someone is hurt or killed in an accident it's in everyone's best interests to understand all the specifics. Not only should everyone be on the same page about what happened, but the facts are often necessary to be sure the right parties (if any) are held accountable. Will police take the necessary steps to ensure the whole truth is learned here?