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An elderly couple was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center early Saturday after a single-vehicle crash that left their vehicle flipped on its top and a guardrail bent more than 10 feet in the air.

According to Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department spokesman Steve Hargis, the accident happened at about 6:50 a.m. on West Lamar Alexander Parkway at the intersection of Lane Drive. An elderly couple was driving a pickup truck toward Maryville when the vehicle apparently veered off the right side of the roadway and caught the guardrail in such a way that the vehicle lifted it up into the air before traveling under it, Hargis said.

"It's hard to imagine with a pickup truck, but it did," he said.

The guardrail was arched 10 to 12 feet in the air after the accident, he added.

After going under the guardrail, the pickup truck crossed the grass shoulder at the intersection of West Lamar Alexander Parkway and Lane Drive and hit a second guardrail, which caused the truck to flip, Hargis said.

Eleven Friendsville Volunteer firefighters responded to the accident and with the help of airbags brought to the scene by the Maryville Fire Department, they were able to extricate the two passengers pinned inside the truck, Hargis said.

Names of the two victims were not available from authorities late Saturday, though, they were reportedly from Sevier County.

The male, who was driving, was taken by Lifestar to University of Tennessee Medical Center; his wife was taken by Rural/Metro Ambulance Service to UT, Hargis said. Both were wearing seat belts.

Their conditions were not available.

West Lamar Alexander Parkway was closed for about an hour while emergency crews responded to the accident.

The Blount County Sheriff's Office, Blount County Volunteer Rescue Squad and Tennessee Highway Patrol also responded to the accident.