Toddler killed as 18 vehicles wreck on icy I-24 in Marshall County

The series of multi-vehicle collisions that took place during icy weather on I-24 in Marshall County late Wednesday night claimed the life of a baby.

Just after 11 pm, troopers were notified of the initial accidents at the Tennessee River bridge between Grand Rivers and Calvert City. While on the scene, five additional crashes took place in the area. Seven collisions in total were reported, involving a total of 12 tractor-trailers and six cars.

One of the collisions occurred when a semi driven by Chabrielle-Darnisha S. Hester of Texas reportedly rear-ended another semi driven by Quentin T. Glenn of Florida.

One of the passengers in Hester's truck, an 18-month-old child, was ejected from the vehicle and was struck by a car driven by Christian J. Vasallo of North Carolina.

The child was declared dead on the scene by the Marshall County Coroner.

Authorities said the child was not restrained at the time of the accident. Troopers said the accident will eventually be presented to a prosecutor for potential criminal charges.

Another collision involved a cattle trailer, and about two dozen cattle escaped. Both westbound lanes were opened after noon, but efforts to round up stray cattle continued into the afternoon.