A portion of Interstate 77 in North Carolina will be shut down for hours Friday after a tractor-trailer crashed, spilling thousands of potatoes across the highway.
A WSOC photographer was traveling behind the truck and witnessed the crash around 2 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-77 near West Boulevard.
The impact was so violent that the engine flew out of the big rig.
Two other drivers who were following the truck jumped out and rescued the truck driver, who was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center. Officials said he'd be OK.
"Maybe he fell sleep, and sadly hit the guard rail," said rescuer Garrett Bonacci. "Thank the Lord he's all right."
"We stopped immediately and saw a guy try to crawl out of the cab," said Grant Wales. "Saw a lot fire going on, so I ran to him. His leg was pinned, tried pulling him out."
The driver told rescuers and state troopers that he fell asleep behind the wheel.
No other vehicles were involved in crash, which damaged about 20 feet of guard rail and concrete barrier.
Officials said the interstate would be closed through the morning rush hour while crews worked to clean-up the 50,000 pounds of potatoes that the semi was carrying. Some potatoes were soaked in diesel fuel and crews were being careful with how to dispose of them.
Clean-up crews initially hoped to have one lane open by 5 a.m. and all lanes open by 8 a.m. but DOT officials said the lanes would not reopen until at least noon.
The far left lane was reopened just before 8 a.m.
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