(WBIR – ALCOA)
A Virginia man died Friday morning when he collided on Alcoa Highway with a Tennessee Department of Transportation employee on a mower.
The man was identified as Eddie R. Haga, 42, of Marion, Va., according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol report.
Driving a 1999 International tow truck, Haga was heading south about 11:45 a.m. on Alcoa Highway when he crashed into a 1993 John Deere Bush Hog tractor driven by Nathan Reagan, 53, of Townsend, according to a report from Trooper Ernest Marion.
According to the THP, the tractor was southbound on the left lane/left shoulder near Mimosa Heights Drive. Reagan was moving to the median to mow, according to Marion's report.
Haga rear-ended the tractor. He was killed on impact. Reagan suffered injuries, according to the report.
Both men wore seat belts, according to the report.
The crash caused lengthy backups, and the highway was closed for several hours Friday. Both north and south bound lanes were reopened at approximately 3:20 p.m. according to the Alcoa Police Department.