09/22/2026
Our prayers are with everyone involved, their families, and friends.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. last night, members of the Kingsport Fire Department were operating on Interstate 26 Westbound at the scene of a motor vehicle accident when a secondary crash occurred behind the original incident.
Kingsport firefighters and personnel from Sullivan County EMS immediately went to the secondary crash to check for injuries and provide assistance. While emergency personnel were loading a patient into an ambulance, a vehicle traveling westbound struck three Kingsport firefighters and one Sullivan County EMS EMT, injuring all four emergency responders.
All four personnel were transported to Johnson City Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. Two have since been treated and released. Two remain hospitalized this morning with injuries that are considered non-life-threatening.
We are extremely thankful that the injuries sustained by our firefighters and our partner from Sullivan County EMS were not more serious. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all four responders, their families, and everyone involved in this incident as they recover.
This incident is also a sobering reminder of the dangers firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement officers, tow operators, and highway workers face while operating along our roadways. We ask every driver to slow down, move over, remain alert, and give emergency personnel the space they need to safely perform their duties.
We appreciate the concern and prayers that have already been expressed for our personnel and our partners at Sullivan County EMS. We ask that you continue to keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers.
Fire Chief Jerry DeBerry
Kingsport Fire Department