Photo credit: www.yahoo.com

Tragic Accident on Hurricane-Damaged Highway in North Carolina

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A tragic incident has occurred following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, resulting in the death of a driver after she bypassed a barricade on a damaged highway. This stretch of road has become a stark reminder of the storm’s impact, particularly on the infrastructure in the region.

Interstate 40, which suffered considerable damage with multiple lanes washed out near the Tennessee state line, became a focal point for both local and national attention as communities faced significant road closures in the aftermath of the hurricane. The catastrophic images of the highway, severely affected by the floodwaters, highlighted the challenges in the area.

Emergency responders from both Tennessee and North Carolina were dispatched to the scene on Saturday night after reports of a vehicle accident on the eastbound side of I-40. According to a release by the Junaluska Community Volunteer Fire Department, the vehicle had gone off the road, tumbling down an embankment.

Rescue crews scaled the steep slope to reach the vehicle, which landed on its side approximately 100 feet from the highway. Photographs from the site depicted firefighters working diligently to reach the crushed white car at the bottom of the rubble-strewn incline. Tragically, the driver, identified as 63-year-old Patricia Mahoney from Southern Pines, North Carolina, was later confirmed dead at a hospital.

Sgt. Brandon Miller of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, which is conducting an investigation into the incident, noted that Mahoney entered the highway at around the 7-mile marker before driving in the wrong direction down the eastbound lanes. Her vehicle went off-road near the 4-mile marker, where the highway ends. An autopsy has been scheduled, and investigators are still trying to determine the reasons behind her decision to circumvent the barricade.

The highway has remained closed since late September, following the severe flooding triggered by Hurricane Helene, which eroded significant portions of the eastbound lanes along the Pigeon River. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has announced plans to reopen one lane in each direction by the start of the new year, providing some hope for the affected communities.

Source
www.yahoo.com