State Highway Patrol Trooper 1st Sgt. Christopher Knox said there were more than 1,000 crashes in North Carolina on Wednesday.
For comparison, Knox said the state had 185 crashes on Tuesday.
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Here is a look at some of Wednesday's most impactful crashes:
One person killed, 6 hospitalized after series of crashes on I-40/I-85 in Orange County
At least one person died in one of Wednesday's crashes along I-40 West at the I-85 South connector in Orange County, according to the Orange Rural Fire Department.
The State Highway Patrol (SHP) said about 53 cars were involved in a dozen crashes along this stretch of I-40 and I-85.
The SHP said two separate crashes happened at the connector, which caused traffic to stop.
- At 3:02 pm., there was a crash on I-40 West at Exit 261 (Old N.C. 86) near Hillsborough.
- Minutes later, at 3:24 p.m., there was a second crash on I-40 West at the same exact spot (Old N.C. 86).
That's when the pileup began, with multiple vehicles slamming into stopped traffic. State troopers said a tractor-trailer hit a car, killing 78-year-old Jerolyn Day Wilson, of Burlington.
Troopers said William Crowell Kellam, 44, of Spartanburg, South Carolina – the driver of the tractor-trailer that hit and killed Wilson – was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and exceeding safe speed for conditions.
Orange County Emergency Management coordinator Kirby Saunders said two tractor-trailers jackknifed along I-85 where it merges near I-40. At least four tractor-trailers were involved in these crashes.
Saunders said authorities took six people to the hospital. He said authorities took another 10 people away from the scene to a warming center.
Three more multi-vehicle crashes happened after this deadly crash.
"I'm thankful to not be out there," said Orange County resident Melissa Perry. "My daughter was playing in the snow earlier and heard three really loud booms."
I-40 West was closed for hours at Old N.C. Highway 86 just south of Hillsborough.
Crashes pile up in Johnston County
A truck crashed into a home Wednesday afternoon in Johnston County.
Authorities took the driver of a pickup truck to the hospital after he lost control on N.C. Highway 391789278 and slammed into the house.
The crash caused major structural damage, enough for the Johnston County inspector to declare the home unsafe.
Authorities told WRAL News no one was inside the home at the time of the crash.
One of the first major crashes on Wednesday happened on Interstate 917892785, when a tractor-trailer crashed and shut down the southbound side of the highway for hours.
The crash happened around noon near Exit 102 (Micro Road) in Johnston County near Micro after a tractor-trailer overturned, blocking all of the southbound lanes.
The tractor-trailer was transporting lumber, which spilled across I-917892785. At least one other car was involved in the crash.
The interstate reopened around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Luckily, authorities said no one was injured.
This crash happened minutes after a WRAL viewer reported patches of ice along I-917892785 in Johnston County, heading towards Harnett County and the Dunn area.
Elsewhere in Johnston County, a car rear-ended the back of a fire truck on I-40 near Clayton.
The Cleveland Fire Department said crews were providing assistance when a car approaching the scene slammed on its brakes, lost control and slid into Engine 1.
Fortunately, the fire department said no firefighters were injured, and the driver of the car only had minor injuries.
"This serves as an important reminder—when driving in hazardous conditions, slow down, increase your following distance, and always move over for emergency vehicles," the fire department said on Facebook.
Related: Traffic map
Atlantic Avenue crash in Raleigh: Two people hospitalized
First responders took two people to the hospital after two cars crashed head-on in Raleigh on Atlantic Avenue between Spring Forest Road and East Millbrook Road.
One person may not survive; last we heard, the injuries are life-threatening. Another person suffered a broken leg.
Both cars were traveling opposite directions when one crossed into the center line, crashing head-on into each other.
Person County sheriff rear-ended by out-of-control vehicle
Person County Sheriff Jason Wilborn was involved in one of the 1,000-plus crashes in North Carolina on Wednesday. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this crash.
"He lost control coming down the hill [and] couldn't stop his vehicle," Wilborn said. "Of course, in these kind of conditions, you don't have any brakes. And, he ran into the back of me.
'He probably totaled his vehicle. It did [a] small amount of damage to the rear of my pickup truck."
Wilborn said he took a few ibuprofen and went back out to help first responders deal with the snowy conditions.
I-40 crash near Harrison Avenue in Cary
A van crashed on Interstate 40 near Harrison Avenue in Cary.
Snow slows down traffic on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh
Snow complicated traffic on Wednesday afternoon along Glenwood Avenue in north Raleigh.
I-40 West closed at Exit 170 in Orange County
A crash closed I-40 West at Dimmocks Mill Road (Exit 170) near Hillsborough in Orange County.
WRAL News saw two semitrucks on the Dimmocks Mill Road ramp.
U.S. 64 crash near Zebulon
There was a crash on U.S. 64 near Ardendell Avenue/N.C. Highway 917892786 near Zebulon.
I-85 crash near Durham
A crash on I-85 near Avondale Drive closed the right shoulder near Avondale Drive.
3 crashes on I-85 in Granville County
There were three crashes Wednesday on I-85 in Granville County:
- Two of the crashes were on I-85 near N.C. Highway 56.
- One of the crashes was on I-85 near U.S. 15.
I-917892785 crash near Benson
A crash shut down I-917892785 South near Exit 77 (Hodges Chapel Road) near Benson in Harnett County on Wednesday.