Truck Driver Raises Awareness of I-24 Exception to Help Prevent Monteagle Mountain Accidents

MONTEAGLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee truck driver wants the public to be aware of exceptions to road rules that apply to a portion of I-24 on Monteagle Mountain.

This is an exception that he says many drivers, and even some law enforcement, are unaware of.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol says on a portion of the highway near Monteagle, tractor-trailers are allowed to use the leftmost lane.

This is supposed to allow them to access runaway ramps in an emergency.

Mark Varady says he travels the eastern stretch of I-24 along Monteagle almost every day.

Over the past 45 years of driving heavy-duty tractor-trailers, Varady says he has witnessed tragic accidents with trucks crossing traffic lanes to get to emergency ramps.

He hopes that knowing this Tennessee law could help prevent life-or-death situations on the mountain.

“It’s a mountain, but it’s so small that no one respects it. And that’s why this mountain has killed more people than most big mountains in the west,” Varady says.

We obtained data from the Tennessee Department of Homeland Safety and Security showing 120 crashes on I-24 east in Monteagle over the past 5 years.

The average? 24 accidents per year.

“Truck drivers are conditioned to be in the right lane. But uncontrollable on-ramps are on the left,” Varady says. “I can’t live with the fact that I might kill someone trying to save my life.”

TDSHS data also shows 1 fatal accident for this year.

“The man gave his life instead of taking a car to save his own.”

A tragic accident on Monteagle witnessed by Varady while descending the mountain.

“It’s not a wide ramp. When you’re driving at high speed and trying to maneuver across two lanes of traffic… The man I saw die, he just missed.”

Which led him to research the rules for that specific stretch of highway.

“It’s a law that no one knows about, because it extends over about six kilometers of road. There is no other law in the country,” Varady says.

Varady says he contacted the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who told him…

“Any left exit off a highway, third lane laws are exempt. So two miles before that exit, two miles after that exit, I’m allowed to be in that lane. Well, it’s only less of four miles. So the whole The third section of track descending from Monteagle falls under this.

Varady says he drives the Monteagle stretch in the left lane and keeps a photo of THP’s response ready to display in his phone, just in case.

“I was stopped one day on my way down and the officer said to me, ‘The third lane is for passing.’ And I said, ‘Well, I was informed that I was allowed to be here.” They let me go and they finally found out it was true,” Varady says.

An unusual law, according to Varady, every truck driver should know it, because it could save a life.

His advice for those making the trek to Chattanooga?

“Go down the mountain like you’re supposed to, which I plan to continue doing.”

State law specifies that the exemption allows trucks in the left lane two miles before the exit ramp and extends two miles beyond it.