An elderly couple has died after an accident on I-40 this weekend.
Knoxville Police say Esther Congdon, 78, of Knoxville, was killed when the Ford Taurus she was driving slammed into a concrete median on near Papermill exit Sunday afternoon. Her husband, Richard Congdon, was a passenger in the car. He died at UT Medical Center on Monday.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident. It is still unknown at this point if the driver suffered a medical problem that may have contributed to the crash. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. It is undetermined if the passenger was wearing a seatbelt.
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Police have released more details about two serious accidents that occurred on I-40 Sunday afternoon.
Both accidents shut down lanes of the interstate for hours that day.
The first accident killed the driver of a Ford Taurus and sent the passenger to UT Medical Center with serious injuries. Authorities are not releasing the names until all the next of kin are notified.
A Toyota Avalon was also involved in the accident. The driver of that vehicle has been identified as 59-year-old Eric Thorton of Jefferson City.
A short time later, 59-year-old Chester Justice of Knoxville was driving a motorcycle with 60-year-old Jan Donnelly of Sevier County on I-40 when he ran into a Ford Mustang which had slowed down for the first accident.
The Mustang then struck a Dodge pickup truck driven by Anthony Cox, 30-years-old of Knoxville. The motorcycle driver, passenger, and the driver of the Mustang, 20-year-old Phillip White of Knoxville, were all taken to the hospital to be treated.
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All lanes are open after two accidents shut down lanes of I-40 for hours, Sunday.
The first accident happened at the Papermill exit and I-640. It happened around 1:41 Sunday afternoon.
According to a police report a Ford Taurus was traveling eastbound and began to swerve toward the guard rail on the right shoulder of the interstate.
The vehicle then turned back towards the concrete median on the left shoulder, striking a Toyota Avalon, also traveling eastbound.
The Taurus then struck the concrete median head on. The driver and passenger of the Taurus were transported to UT Medical Center. The driver was declared deceased upon arrival. The front seat passenger appears to have serious injures.
The driver and only occupant of the Toyota had no injuries.
The investigation is ongoing and the names of the involved parties will not be released until family is notified.
A short time after the first accident, a second wreck with injury call was received on I-40 east at the exit ramp to Papermill Driver.
A Kawasaki motorcycle rear ended a ford Mustang which was slowing for traffic backed up for the first accident.
The rear passenger of the motorcycle was thrown from the motorcycle and struck the back window of the Mustang.
The Mustang then struck a Dodge Dually pickup truck which was pulling a trailer. The Dually then came to rest partially blocking the interstate and exit ramp.
The driver of the motorcycle was transported to UT Medical Center for possible injuries and the passenger of the motorcycle was transported for non-life threatening injuries.
The driver of the Mustang was transported to UT Medical Center for possible injuries.
The driver of the motorcycle was cited for careless driving and not having insurance.
No names have been released at this time.