As a winter storm settled into the Southeast on Sunday, a truck driver in North Carolina lost control on an icy overpass, sending the tractor-trailer over a guardrail.
The accident was reported just before 5:30 p.m. ET. According to Durham police, the truck apparently slid off the State Route147 bridge, smashing into U.S. 15/501 below.
Officials said the driver, who hasn’t been identified, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The driver’s condition was not available as of Tuesday morning.
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By 6:30 p.m., crews were trying to figure out the best way to remove the trailer and truck from the overpass and highway. Just before 9 p.m., a crane on the bridge was attached to the end of the trailer and a large tow truck was attached below. Then the trailer was lowered onto US-15/501.
The roads were reopened by 10:20 p.m. after the tractor-trailer was towed away. The front of the cab had major damage, according to reports.
Besides icy conditions, the storm produced 14 to 20 inches of snow from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee. Snow was reported as far south as Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
As the storm moved into the Northeast on Sunday, winds became stronger, leading to toppled trees and a large number of power outages that lasted into Monday. However, crews had restored electricity to many of those customers as of Tuesday morning.
Looking ahead
Roads remain icy in parts of the South and Northeast, with more snow possible in these regions later this week.
Also, blizzard conditions are possible Tuesday in parts of the Upper Midwest. Look for several inches of snow through Tuesday night from eastern North Dakota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Wind gusts will reach 35 to 55 mph, producing periods of potential whiteouts.
Truckers will also hit high winds in western sections of the Dakotas where snow won’t be falling, leading to a high risk of rollovers.
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 29 from the South Dakota-North Dakota border to the U.S.-Canada border.
• Interstate 90 in South Dakota from Rapid City to Chamberlain.
• Interstate 94 from the Montana-North Dakota border to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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