So Sunday morning, I headed out to take the kids home. I was supposed to be in Lexington, Kentucky between 9 and 10 AM so I got ready for an early 4 AM start. It did not help that the electricity went out about 2 AM and did not come back on until 3:45.  Still we made it onto the road at 4:15.

We were making pretty good time until we got North of Cleveland, TN around an hour later. The highway signs started warning us of an accident about 15 miles ahead. I didn’t think too much about it until we came to a complete stop at 5:30 AM as pictured above. I thought no problem I am a veteran at sitting in traffic after prior weekend. After a while people started turning around and driving down the medians , and still we sat. Through some text messages with their mother and surfing the net on my blackberry, I discovered it was a serious accident involving a fatality.

I didn’t discover how serious until I got back home and started searching for articles on it. This is a story about it.

We sat for over two hours and fifteen minutes, until well after sunrise.

We had discussion in car about how long it should take to clear the highway before we knew the seriousness of the situation.  I feel somewhat guilty about my self centeredness at the time.  An hour earlier and it could have been us. My only complaint is with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The accident occurred at 4 AM and we came up on it at 5:30 AM. Instead of telling me there was an accident 15 mile ahead, why don’t you tell me the interstate is closed and to take the next exit and a detour? By the time we came to a stop we were over three miles from the accident site, plenty of time for them to have begun diverting traffic.

My prayers go out to the Zuefle family during this time. Just a family trying to get home.

We made it to Lexington around 11 AM and I filled up, turned around and headed South. A nice, scenic and uneventful drive.

12 hours in the car and 628 miles later I arrived home just after 4 PM.