Traffic was backed up for several hours Thursday after a tractor trailer ran off Interstate 40 between Benson and McGee’s Crossroads.
The accident happened around 8:45 AM near the 324 mile marker. The driver ran off the roadway, traveled down an embankment and crashed into a heavily wooded area well off the interstate.
The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to Johnston Health in Clayton.
It took a large wrecker several hours to recover the wreckage and remove it from the scene. At times, traffic backed up more than three miles in the eastbound lanes.
A hazardous materials team also responded to the scene to contain a diesel fuel spill from the truck’s fuel tank. The trailer was empty.
The NC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. Photos by John Payne
