CHATTANOOGA, TN — A 46-year-old driver died after a wrong-way crash on Highway 27 northbound in Chattanooga, according to the Chattanooga Police Department. Officers said a Mazda CX-5 crossed onto the wrong side of the roadway and hit a Mercedes CLS 550 head-on around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Police said the crash happened in the northbound lanes of Highway 27 after they received a report of a multi-vehicle collision. Both drivers were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, but the Mercedes driver later died.
Police say the crash happened on a short stretch of northbound lanes
Chattanooga police said officers were sent to the 0.5-mile stretch of northbound Highway 27 after the early morning call. The department described the incident as a multi-vehicle crash, though the preliminary investigation has focused on the two cars directly involved in the fatal collision.
The Mazda driver is believed to have entered the wrong side of the highway before the impact. Police have not said what caused that vehicle to travel in the wrong direction.
Preliminary findings point to a head-on impact
Investigators said the Mazda CX-5 struck the Mercedes CLS 550 head-on after the wrong-way entry onto Highway 27. The force of the collision left both drivers with serious injuries, requiring transport to a hospital shortly after the crash.
At this stage, authorities have only released the basic facts from the preliminary investigation. They have not identified either driver publicly, and no additional details about the vehicles or conditions on the roadway were included in the initial update.
The Mercedes driver later died from injuries
Police said the driver of the Mercedes died after being hospitalized for crash-related injuries. The department said the person was 46 years old, but did not release a name pending further notifications and official updates.
It was not immediately clear whether the second driver remained hospitalized or what the extent of those injuries was beyond police describing them as serious. Authorities also did not say whether impairment, speed, or another factor may have played a role.
Highway 27 remains a heavily traveled corridor through Chattanooga
Highway 27 is one of the major routes through Chattanooga, and a wrong-way crash there can create serious danger in just seconds. Police said the crash unfolded early Sunday morning, a time when traffic is typically lighter but visibility and reaction time can still be limited.
Because the investigation is still in its early stages, officials have not released any timeline for a final crash reconstruction or possible traffic enforcement conclusions. The department’s update so far centers on the direction of travel, the head-on impact, and the fatal outcome.
Police are asking witnesses to come forward
The Chattanooga Police Department said anyone with information about the crash should contact investigators at 423-698-2525. That request suggests detectives are still trying to piece together how the Mazda ended up on the wrong side of the highway before the collision.
For now, the case remains an open fatal crash investigation. Police have not said when they expect to release the drivers’ identities or whether additional public updates will follow as the inquiry continues.
