Lumber truck accident causes huge delays

A major headache on our local bridges Tuesday afternoon lingered well into the evening.

A tractor trailer loaded with lumber overturned on the 421 exit ramp near the battleship, spilling its load all over the road. Traffic was brought to a standstill.

Trooper Jonathan King was at the site of the mess. King said, “The load shifted out of the trailer, causing it to spill onto highway 74, which then caused the traffic to spill over.”

The accident happened around noon. Law enforcement said the driver, William David Ridge of Ashboro was speeding as he attempted to yield onto 74. Cars attempting to make their way to Brunswick County were not moving at all.

There are still marks on the median as witnesses say the tractor trailer drove over the median and that’s when it flipped over and spilled lumber everywhere.

By late afternoon, the lumber had been moved to the shoulder of the road and remaining debris was blocked off with cones.

The highway patrol said there should be no problem with Wednesday morning’s commute.