Editor’s Note: Robertson County Emergency Medical initially reported six children were killed in the crash. The crash report provided by the Tennessee Highway Patrol clarified six females died in the crash, including four children.
ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Six people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 24 in Robertson County early Sunday morning.
The crash was reported just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 26 in the westbound lanes of I-24 at mile marker 23 — just west of the exit for Highway 49 that leads to Pleasant View and Springfield.
Tennessee Highway Patrol reported two vehicles were traveling west on I-24 when a crash occurred between the two but no additional details were released.
According to Robertson County EMS Director Brent Dyer, a total of nine people were involved in the crash. Officials said eight people were in one vehicle and the other vehicle was occupied by one man.
At the scene, crews came into contact with a man who identified himself as the driver of a vehicle that was positioned west of the crash scene.
Officials with Robertson County EMS reported the man told first responders he was uninjured. The THP reported that driver is a 23-year-old man from Alabama who was driving a BMW 750i. No charges have been filed against him at this time.
First responders then located a Toyota Camry that was overturned and appeared to have very extensive damage. An 18-year-old man, who told crews he was inside the car during the crash, was transported to TriStar Skyline Trauma Center for treatment. THP says he was wearing his seat belt.
Outside of the car, personnel found a woman suffering from critical injuries. According to Robertson County EMS, it appears the woman was ejected from the car. She was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with critical injuries.
Robertson County Emergency Services said first responders then located six children at the crash site but THP later clarified this statement to say that four children and two adults were found. All six were ejected from the vehicle and reported dead at the scene.
THP reports 21-year-old Tania Rodriguez, of Kentucky, as the driver of the Camry. Troopers said she was not wearing a seat belt.
A 35-year-old woman, Rina Reyes, was identified as one of the deceased victims, in addition to four girls aged 12, 5, 3 and 1-year-old. The THP did not release their identities.
Pleasant View Fire Capt. Wayne Bennett applauded first responders’ efforts Sunday morning.
“Our firefighters, the medical personnel, the law enforcement, this is something you don’t see on a daily basis. Everyone is trained to do their job and handle their business while they’re on the scene, and they did an excellent job of getting the situation under control,” Bennett said.
Critical Incident Stress Management teams were deployed following the incident, and mental health services were made available to first responders.
According to Bennett, the scene was one of the most tragic situations he’s seen in his 19 years of service.
“It’s just a tragic loss. You can’t imagine what the families are going through of these victims,” he said. “We need to handle our business on the scene, and then if we need to fall apart together later on, we can do that.”
A total of four ambulances responded to the crash site, along with crews from Robertson County EMS, Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department, Cheatham County EMS and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The westbound lanes were blocked as first responders worked the scene, so all traffic was diverted off at Exit 24. All lanes have since reopened.
No other information was immediately released.