BENSON – Highway 301 north of Benson was shutdown Monday afternoon following a serious crash near the Interstate 40 interchange.
Around 4:30pm, a Jeep SUV was traveling on Highway 301 when the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a tree, then careened down a steep embankment. The impact was so severe it uprooted the tree.
Three people were in the SUV. One person was reportedly ejected through the windshield. A second person was pinned inside the wreckage. All three victims were transported by ambulance to Wake Med with serious injuries.
The State Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the single vehicle accident. Highway 301 was closed in both directions near the I-40 overpass for more than an hour.
Johnston County EMS, 50-210 EMS, Benson Fire Department, Benson Police Department and State Highway Patrol responded.
