Raleigh, N.C. — Several crashes were reported across Raleigh on Friday morning hours after a winter storm began causing roads to be slick and icy. At one point, there were nine active crashes in Raleigh on Friday morning.
A multi-vehicle crash closed part of I-40 in Raleigh on Friday morning and an ambulance skidded off the roadway on I-87 near Knightdale.
I-40 was closed in both directions near the Hammond Road exit after one of the vehicles involved caught on fire. NCDOT is planning on treating the slick bridge to prevent more wrecks.
Two out of five lanes eastbound were closed on Friday morning at around 6 a.m. along I-40 near Exit 289, or the exit to Wade Avenue.
Ambulance crash caused by icy patch
An ambulance skidded off of the side of the road just before 4 a.m. Friday in eastern Wake County, on I-87 near the exit to Highway 64 Business. The vehicle hit a guard rail and several trees.
Officials said that they would need to bring a special crane out to the scene to be able to drag the ambulance out of a deep embankment it slid into.
Paramedics were transporting a woman for cardiac arrest in the ambulance at the time. The patient died, but authorities do not believe she died as a result of the crash.
The two paramedics on board have minor injuries but are going to be ok, officials said. The ambulance was affiliated with Metz Medical Transport and not a Wake County EMS unit.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said no charges have been filed as of Friday morning. The patient’s name was not immediately made available.
Tractor-trailer crash along I-40
Along I-40 East, a tractor-trailer was seen turned over on the embankment near Wade Avenue. There were no injuries from the crash and police don’t believe it was caused by ice. Several eastbound lanes were still closed as of 1 p.m.
As of 9:30, Raleigh police and trucker crews were still working to remove the tractor-trailer from the scene. The tractor is mangled in the trees in the wooded area beside the road, making for a lengthy process.
“The best advice I can give you is if you can stay put, just hold tight here through the morning,” said WRAL reporter Brian Shrader.
Temperatures in Raleigh were around 28 degrees and snow and rain that fell on the ground earlier Thursday evening has now re-frozen. The NCDOT asks that anyone who does not need to travel stay off the roads from Friday until Saturday.
