Homelessness is a harsh reality for hundreds of thousands of people in the US. This sometimes results in families living out of vehicles for a time. However, seven kids were recently discovered in the back of a U-Haul driving on an interstate in Tennessee.
In March 2025, Brandon Blount, 39, was arrested in Hamilton County, Tennessee, near Chattanooga, after the discovery. He now faces multiple charges due to the unsafe nature of driving with the children unsecured and the condition of the kids. Let’s take a closer look at this unfortunate case.
Police responded to a report of kids in the back of a U-Haul on a Tennessee interstate.
On March 25, East Ridge Police responded after receiving a report of kids being loaded into the back of a U-Haul, WTVC reported. A search resulted in the truck being located on I-75 northbound. During the traffic stop, officers found seven children in the U-Haul — two in the front cab and five in the back storage compartment.
The family was homeless and living in the truck.
Blount, who was driving the rental truck, was identified as the father, Fox 10 News reported. Allegedly, the family drove from Nevada in a rental car they were living in because they were homeless. When the rental expired, Blount said he switched them to a U-Haul.
Allegedly, the kids had lice and smelled like urine.
CHATTANOOGA — Police find 5 children riding in the back of a U-Haul on I-75. The adult driver was arrested. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/P8Dpw0ga4k
— Megan Fee (@meganfeetv) March 26, 2025
The children, all girls, who were found in the U-Haul ranged in age from 3 to 12, East Ridge Assistant Police Chief Josh Creel noted, per Fox 10. Additionally, the children smelled of urine and some of them had lice. The girld were transported by EMS for medical evaluation, WTVC reported. CPS was also notified.
The police chief explained the danger to the kids in the U-Haul.
Creel explained the danger of driving with the kids in the back of the U-Haul.
“If that vehicle were to overturn or be involved in a traffic crash, parties would be at the mercy of physics in the back of that vehicle, and it would not be a good situation,” he said, per WTVC. “Same thing with a pickup truck.”
Blount faces multiple charges.
The East Ridge Police Department took Blount into custody. Now, the homeless father faces multiple counts of child endangerment and child neglect, WTVC reported. His next court date is set for June 3, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
