within the Interstate 85 work zone
in Durham shut down southbound I-85 between East Club Boulevard (Exit 178) and the U.S. 70 Interchange for several hours Friday afternoon.
The accident happened at about 2:23 p.m. when a dump truck going north in the left northbound lane, veered to the left and crashed through the metal median barriers. The dump truck crossed the median and kept going north in the southbound lanes.
Frank Davis, the driver of the dump truck, then swerved back toward the median to avoid colliding with a southbound tractor-trailer, but the driver of the tractor-trailer also swerved toward the median in an attempt to avoid a collision. The dump truck then hit the passenger side of the tractor-trailer, causing three vehicles on the trailer to fall off. Two of the three vehicles landed upside down in the roadway.
Davis, of Creedmoor, was taken via helicopter to Duke University Medical Center. He was listed in serious condition Friday night.
Two adults -- driver Kermit Moore and a female passenger -- and a 2-year-old girl were in the 18-wheeler. All three were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Moore, who is from Sherman, Tex., and the female passenger were treated and released from the hospital. The 2-year-old was held overnight for observation.
No charges have been filed, but the accident remains under investigation.
The dump truck, which is owned by Barnes Group, is a total loss.
Southbound traffic was rerouted for most of the afternoon, including Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, at East Club Boulevard. The northbound lane was also shut down for a little while, but reopened shortly after the accident.
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