Tennessee Trooper Risks His Life Facing Wrong-Way Driver On I-40

This is the terrifying moment a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper faced a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Interstate 40, with dashcam footage capturing the crash that left both drivers injured.

Sgt. Goddard of the Memphis District was returning from training in Nashville on Thursday, September 24, 2026, when an elderly man driving the wrong way on I-40 approached his patrol car near mile marker 176 close to the I-840 interchange.

The THP dashcam shows the patrol vehicle traveling along the interstate as the wrong-way vehicle suddenly appears ahead. Sgt. Goddard reacted to the danger, but the vehicles still collided, sending the patrol car across the roadway as its windshield shattered from the impact.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Andrew Perez said Sgt. Goddard’s actions helped avoid a full head-on collision, which he said would likely have been deadly.

Both drivers were injured in the crash and were expected to recover. THP did not release the name or age of the other driver, only identifying him as an elderly man.

Perez said the Exit 172 and I-840 area can be confusing for drivers, and previous wrong-way crashes in the area have often involved older or impaired drivers.

The dashcam footage was released by THP on Friday, September 25, showing the moment the trooper encountered the wrong-way vehicle and the violent impact that followed.