A 23-year-old man from Starkville, Miss., was injured while assisting his cousin, the driver of a disabled vehicle, change a flat tire, according to a preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred last Tuesday, Nov. 8, shortly before 6 p.m. on Interstate 40 East near mile marker 171. According to THP Public information Officer Sgt. Alex Campbell, Joseph Daniel Blackburn was standing by the driver’s door on the side of the road using the flashlight on his cellphone to help his cousin change the tire on the cousin’s 2014 Chevy Malibu when he was hit by a passing vehicle that had failed to stop following the crash.
The victim was taken by helicopter to the hospital and was listed in critical condition.
This is an ongoing investigation.