One truck driver is dead and two others injured after a fiery, four-semi crash shut down Interstate 65 in Maury County for hours on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

James Ebbinger, 59, of Texas, was driving a 2026 Peterbilt northbound near mile marker 50, in the stretch of I-65 between Columbia and Spring Hill, when his truck crossed the median into the southbound lanes. It struck a tractor-trailer driven by a 49-year-old Minnesota man, then hit two more trucks, driven by a 63-year-old Alabama man and a 36-year-old Florida man, before coming to a stop. Ebbinger was killed in the crash. The other two drivers were injured; their conditions have not been released.

All four semis caught fire. Thick black smoke was visible for miles along the backed-up interstate as crews worked to bring the flames under control.

Spring Hill Fire Department was first on scene and took command, but the scale of the fire quickly outpaced what one department could handle alone. Maury County Fire Department responded on mutual aid to provide water supply, sending five tankers in its initial response. As the volume of fire and the heat of the day pushed crews toward a defensive posture, MCFD transitioned to a ladder pipe operation: two additional engines ran roughly 1,800 feet of supply line, a mix of 5-inch hose and dual 3-inch lines, from a hydrant at Kedron Road down onto the interstate, while a truck company set up a ladder pipe on the south side of the fire to relieve Spring Hill crews who had been operating hand lines. Between the ladder pipe and a tanker shuttle supplying Spring Hill's engines, crews flowed roughly 65,000 gallons of water on the fire.

Maury County Fire Department credited the coordinated, cross-jurisdictional response for how the incident was handled, noting that Spring Hill Fire has provided the county with countless auto-aid responses over the years. Lawrence County Fire stood by to cover the south end of Maury County while local units were tied up on the interstate, and the Maury County Sheriff's Office and Spring Hill Police handled traffic control on Kedron Road to keep the response's hose lines from being run over. Maury County 911 and Maury County Emergency Management also supported the operation, the latter providing rehab supplies for crews working in the heat.

The crash shut down I-65 in both directions for hours. The Tennessee Department of Transportation estimated full clearance around midnight, accounting for the investigation, cleanup, and pavement repair the fire had left behind. Lanes reopened overnight.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating. The Journal will update this story as more information becomes available.

Working the scene took a toll on the first responders who spent that long, hot afternoon on the interstate. The Spring Hill Police Department publicly thanked the Kroger on Port Royal Road for stepping up with food and water for the officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel working the crash, singling out Manager Meagan Ingram, District Manager Josh Harris, and Dustin Ballard for the gesture. "Working yesterday's I-65 accident scene was physically and mentally exhausting for our officers, especially in this heat," the department wrote. "We are incredibly grateful for community partners like you who step up to support those who serve."

Sources: WKRN. WSMV. Fox17. Williamson Source. WAFF. Maury County Source. Spring Hill Police Department. Maury County Fire Department.