Longtime Tennessee sports reporter Wes Rucker died Thursday, Feb. 19, the only fatality of a multi-vehicle crash on I-40 West in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He was 43 years old.
Rucker’s death was confirmed by his father-in-law, David Goldberg, in a Facebook post published late Feb. 19. According to a Feb. 20 news release by the Knoxville Police Department, police officers responded to a five-vehicle crash on I-40 West at 4:50 p.m. ET on Feb. 19, where Rucker — who was not named in the release — was pronounced dead at the scene.
Per Knoxville police, an investigation revealed a vehicle was stopped for traffic when it was rear-ended by another vehicle, resulting in “minor damage.” However, another vehicle then struck the second vehicle and, seconds later, a large pickup truck ran into and on top of Rucker’s vehicle, fatally injuring him.
Rucker’s death has elicited an outpouring of tributes from to those knew him, whether they followed his career or worked with him professionally.