thedailytimes.com : Your 24/7 news source

Two separate collisions in the same location Saturday night sent five people to area hospitals, and prompted a police search, officials said tonight.

Maryville High School senior Ashley Reisser, 19, was traveling eastbound on I-140 on the Pellissippi Bridge when her Nissan Altima slid on the ice, rear-ending a Chevrolet Malibu.

Her car came to rest in the outside lane of eastbound traffic facing west, according to information from the Knoxville Police Department.

The driver of the Malibu pulled to the side of the road then got out of the car, along with the five people in Reisser's car.

As the group was standing outside, a red Mitsubishi hit a green Honda Civic as those cars approached the initial accident.

The Mitsubishi hit the Honda, causing it to slide across the eastbound lanes and hit Reisser, pinning her under the car and against the wall of the bridge.

The Mitsubishi also hit the driver of the Malibu, who was going to help Reisser.

The Mitsubishi fled the scene before police arrived, and two Hispanic males got out of the Honda Civic and fled on foot.

Reisser is at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical condition.

Three other females, who were in the car with Reisser, were also taken to area hospitals.

The driver of the Malibu was also taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are currently looking for a Red Mitsibishi Eclipse with a left rear taillight out. It also has fresh damage on the passenger side door where it clipped the outside wall and the driverside where it struck the Nissan.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Knoxville Police Department Crime Hotline at 215-7212. The license plate on the Mitsibishi is Tennessee registration 825 SQP/ TN.