A FedEx truck crash off I-540 near Knightdale led to a fiery scene early Wednesday morning. According to CBS 17, officials reported the vehicle veered off the interstate around 5 a.m. near Lynnwood Road, tumbled down an embankment, and caught fire. As emergency responders hurried to the scene to extinguish the blaze, it was evident that an intense recovery operation lay ahead. The driver of the truck was injured in the incident and has been transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
Local residents were met with an unexpected disruption. Footage from the site showed the FedEx truck on its side, flames and smoke issuing forth as the morning began to unfold. Firefighters confronted with diesel fuel that had spilled during the crash found their efforts to quell the flames complicated. As ABC11 reports, the road was closed off near River Estates Drive in response to the emergency, and smoke from the accident could be seen for miles around. At this time, the condition of the driver has not been made public, but they were reportedly outside of the vehicle when emergency crews arrived.
Lynnwood Road between Pine Acres Court and the Planter’s Walk Pool near Lauren’s Way had to be sealed off to traffic. "Emergency crews, fire personnel, and investigators are working together to safely process the scene and clear the roadway. The closure is expected to remain in place for several hours," Knightdale police said in a statement. WRAL coverage includes video footage from Sky 5 showing the absence of traffic impact to I-540 above the crash site.
Residents who have lived near I-540 expressed their shock at the scale of the accident, with one, Tracy Pedigo, telling WRAL, "I never thought there'd be an incident of this magnitude." The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and there has been outreach to FedEx for further information on their damaged packages protocols and customer communications.
