Crash Involving Fire Trucks and Tractor Trailers Closes Interstate 85 in Rowan County, North Carolina (NC)
ROWAN COUNTY, NC- Wcnc.com writes that the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 closed down this week following a severe collision. The crash involved multiple fire trucks and two tractor-trailers. The Millers Ferry Fire Department reportedly responded to the scene of an overnight crash involving a large truck. While the responders were on the scene, another tractor-trailer collided with the fire department trucks.*
The initial collision took place near Spencer, and reports state that the truck involved caught fire leading to the fire department response. Responders had set the trucks up on the road in an effort to protect the workers who were trying to put out the flames and clear the scene.
When the second truck hit, the firetrucks worked as an effective shield that those on the scene believed saved their lives. Nearby departments are now offering to loan trucks and other assistance to the Millers Ferry Department as they now lack fire trucks. Of the departments' six trucks, three were destroyed in the severe collision. The trucker who collided with the fire trucks suffered injuries in the wreck and is recovering at the Novant Health Rowan Regional Medical Center.
The damage led to the road being closed into the afternoon. A possible oil spill complicated the cleanup effort as the oil may have contaminated a nearby waterway. Drivers were instructed to avoid the area and take a detour at Exit 84. Images from the scene of the collision show the mangled firetrucks and severely damaged tractor-trailer.
While most types of collisions decreased last year, crashes involving large trucks rose by one percent.
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Sources:
https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/i-85-shutdown-following-crash-involving-fire-engines-tractor-trailers/275-4808fd79-c025-4eff-9500-576a9ce0e403
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/fatalities-crashes-involving-trucks-increased-2019-nhtsa-estimates#:~:text=NHTSA%20Forecasts%20Slight%20Increase%20in%20Truck%20Crash%20Fatalities%20for%202019&text=Fatalities%20in%20crashes%20involving%20at,Highway%20Traffic%20Safety%20Administration%20estimates.