Around 6:00 a.m., the highway patrol had a potentially explosive situation on their hands.
Officials say the right front tire on a tractor trailer blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the truck, which hit a guard rail and overturned.
The truck was carrying blasting caps and ammonium nitrate when it came to a stop across the eastbound lane of Highway 64, between Lizard Lick and Rolesville Road in Wendell.
The highway was shut down in both directions for hours, and nearby Siemens Automotive plant, with 400 employees, was evacuated.
Expert crews were called in to clean up the spill and take the truck away, which took hours.
The westbound lanes of Highway 64 reopened around 11:00 a.m. The eastbound lanes reopened about an hour later.
The driver of the tractor trailer suffered minor injuries and was treated at WakeMed.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
