Approximately 85 weather related accidents were reported across Johnston County Monday due to icy road conditions.
There were numerous trouble spots. Several cars slid off Packing Plant Road until the Department of Transportation spread salt and sand on the highway.
A pickup truck ran off Buffalo Road near Highway 42 and overturned Monday morning. (blue truck)
Clayton Police shut down northbound Covered Bridge Road at North O’Neal Street after the road became covered in ice causing cars to have a difficult time navagating a hill.
A silver Nissan overturned on Cleveland Road near Wilson’s Mills Fire Station # 2.
No injuries were reported in those accidents.
However, two EMS workers were injured when their ambulance overturned on the Neuse River Bridge on US301 South of Smithfield. Jason Thompson, manager of Johnston County Ambulance Service (JAS) in Smithfield, said the ambulance crew had just dropped off a patient at a dialysis center in Four Oaks and were returning to Smithfield. Thompson said when the crew crossed the bridge headed towards Four Oaks there were no problems. When the ambulance crossed the bridge returning to Smithfield, it lost traction, struck a guardrail and overturned. After the ambulance overturned, a passenger car on the bridge could not stop in time and struck the overturned emergency vehicle.
Two EMS workers on the ambulance were transported by Johnston County EMS to Johnston Medical Center where they were treated and released, Thompson said. The driver of the car was not taken to the hospital. The accident is under investigation by Smithfield Police.
Of the 70 accidents reported Monday, about a dozen resulted in injuries. 57 of the accidents were investigated by state troopers, the other by city police departments. Photos by John Payne
