Two people dead after I-81 crash early Monday

Two people are dead after a head-on collision on Interstate 81 in Greene County Monday morning. the Tennessee Highway Patrol says a Honda CR-V entered the interstate around 3:19 a.m. The Honda was traveling north in the southbound lanes near mile marker 30. At the same time, a Ford Explorer was heading south. The THP reports the Honda hit the Ford head-on. Both vehicles caught fire after colliding. The highway patrol reports the driver of the Honda and a passenger in the Ford were killed in the crash. The driver of the Ford was ejected and transported to a hospital with serious injuries. The THP identified the driver of the Honda as 80 year old Paul Martinez of Tennessee. The deceased passenger was identified as 37 year old Sherri Thornton, Virginia. The crash shut down a portion of the interstate for several hours.