Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 12/16: Knoxville Police Department officials identify the man killed Friday night in a fiery, single-car crash near downtown.
Officers were called around 10:15 p.m. to the exit ramp to Hall of Fame Drive from I-40 West and found a car on fire that had run off the road and into a wooded area.
They found 38-year-old David Boatwright of Knoxville trapped inside and began trying to pull him out by breaking windows and using fire extinguishers, but the fire quickly overtook the vehicle; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials say they believe speed to be a factor in the crash.
ORIGINAL STORY: A man was killed in a single-car crash that happened late Friday night near Hall of Fame Drive.
At around 10:15 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to to the area of the exit ramp to Hall of Fame Drive from I-40 West, where a car had run off the road and into a wooded area.
Multiple officers arrived on scene, where the crashed car had caught on fire with the driver trapped inside. Responding officers attempted to rescue the driver from the car, busting out the windows of the car in an effort to extract the victim while using fire extinguishers to push back the flames. However, fire quickly overtook the vehicle. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
KPD crash reconstruction investigators and crime scene technicians responded to the scene in addition to Medical Examiner’s Office personnel.
The victim of the crash has not yet been positively identified and was transported to the Regional Forensic Center for further examination.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing at this time.
