A blown tire caused the driver of a fully loaded concrete truck to lose control and overturn in the westbound lanes on I-40 near the U.S. 70 interchange Wednesday morning, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Troopers responded to the crash around 10 a.m. near exit 306.
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The crash left the truck's driver and passenger seriously hurt. Both were taken to the hospital.
Several westbound lanes were shut down for hours as crews cleaned up concrete that spilled across the roadway. The cleanup led to backups for miles until the overturned truck was towed away just after 12:30 p.m.
"It was just a standstill," driver Sara Mallion said. "You might move a car length every five minutes. It was just crazy. People were trying to move in and out because we didn't know which lanes were closed."Highway patrol says the crash remains under investigation.
Traffic in the westbound lanes was at a standstill near the interchange with U.S. 70 around 10 a.m. One lane was opened around 10:30 a.m.
A long line of vehicles stretched behind the crash. NCDOT cameras showed traffic was backed up for miles near the exit to the Triangle Expressway.
Highway patrol says the crash remains under investigation.