A car accident on Interstate 40 in Fayette County, Tennessee, about 40 miles from Memphis, resulted in the death of 27-year-old Daniel Palacios III and left his bride, 23-year-old Christy Carrillo, injured.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Monday, March 4, 2024, a day after the couple’s wedding. The wreck happened when their Toyota 4Runner left the road, collided with a dirt embankment, flipped multiple times, and encountered an oncoming semi-truck.
Palacios, an independently contracted truck driver, was killed in the collision. Reports from the Tennessee Highway Patrol indicate that he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Carrillo, who was wearing her seatbelt, survived with injuries and was subsequently released from the hospital. The couple was traveling to their honeymoon after their wedding ceremony.
Palacios’ bereaved father, Daniel Palacios Jr., shared with the local media the heartbreaking news of his son’s demise, mentioning that Carrillo, though physically battered and deeply shaken, is expected to recover as she has been discharged from the hospital.
In a somber Facebook post, Palacios Jr. paid homage to his son and expressed gratitude towards those extending their sympathies. He affirmed that his family is coping and announced a funeral service for March 16, which will be accessible online.
Witness Dennis Vann captured footage of the crash’s harrowing aftermath, which he submitted to a local news station. According to Vann, the catastrophic event may have been precipitated by a rear tire blowout, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times. Vann described the crash as having caused some of the most severe vehicle damage he has ever seen.
The crash adds to a series of recent tragedies on I-40 in Tennessee. In a separate incident hours after Palacios’ death, a plane crash on the highway near John C. Tune Airport in Nashville claimed the lives of all five occupants.