Pack says there were 20 minor injuries but no fatalities. He says it's not clear what caused the first pileup.

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The first crash happened around 6 p.m. during strong storms and troopers said rubberneckers contributed to the others.

One woman who narrowly avoided a crash explained what happened.

“Basically the sun was shining on the road and there was a light rain and it was so bright on the road, there was a glare and everybody had to come to a halt,” she said.

Drivers said they saw so many tow trucks they lost count.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported around 8:45 p.m. that I-40 West/I-85 South was closed at an exit near Burlington. It reopened around 11:15 p.m.

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Corbin Spencer, right, field director of New Georgia Project and volunteer Rodney King, left, help Rueke Uyunwa register to vote. The influential group is shutting down after more than a decade. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2017)

Credit: Hyosub Shin