Local
Semi-Truck Fire, Car Collision Shut Down I-485 Outer Loop Near Rocky River Road; One Hospitalized
A car and a semi-truck collided on the I-485 outer loop near Rocky River Road on Saturday afternoon, sending one person to the hospital and closing all lanes for hours as crews responded to fire-damaged vehicles.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. â A collision between a passenger car and a semi-truck shut down all lanes of the Interstate 485 outer loop near Rocky River Road on Saturday afternoon, sending one person to the hospital and snarling traffic for miles, according to authorities.
The crash occurred before 4:30 p.m. just past Exit 36, state traffic officials confirmed. Medics transported one injured person to a hospital. Their condition was not immediately available.
Photographs from the scene showed both vehicles with signs of fire damage. The semi-truck's trailer had a large burn hole through its center and was left hanging over a guardrail, while the car was pinned underneath the rig.
Investigators had not determined what caused the crash as of Saturday evening.
Police closed every lane of the outer loop near the Rocky River Road interchange, producing backups that stretched for miles and spilled onto secondary roads as drivers sought alternate routes. Officials expected the highway to reopen around 6 p.m.
The closure added to a difficult afternoon for Charlotte-area motorists. Earlier Saturday, authorities reported a separate crash in east Charlotte that injured five people.
Interstate 485 serves as Charlotte's outer beltway, and the stretch near Rocky River Road carries heavy weekend traffic. Even brief closures on the loop can ripple through surrounding neighborhoods, pushing diverted cars and trucks onto local streets.
State and local officials have not released further details about the injured person or the identities of those involved. The investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing.