Lumber Truck Crash Closes I-40 In Harmon Den, NC | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A North Carolina truck accident kept traffic slow and bumper-to-bumper jam-ups on Interstate 40 this week – just hours after the same stretch of road was opened after a serious rockslide.

In October, a twenty-mile stretch of I-40 in North Carolina near the western border of the state was closed for almost six months following a serious rockslide that covered all lanes of the highway for miles. Finally, this week travelers were allowed back on the road (rather than an inconvenient detour) – only to have the road closed once again within 24 hours.

North Carolina State Police and the Ashville Citizen Times reported that a tractor-trailer accident took place on I-40 on Monday afternoon in the westbound lanes of the highway. Although the details of the truck crash are unknown, reports say that one person suffered minor injuries in the big rig accident, though it is not clear whether this person was the truck driver. The truck, which was carrying lumber, fell onto its side and spilled logs across all westbound lanes of traffic. While at least one lane of traffic was cleared in 20 minutes, emergency crews say that all lanes of traffic may not be open until later on Monday night.

The cause of the truck accident is not known, and NC Police are investigating the crash further in the coming days and weeks. More specific details were not given by police.