Two individuals sustained serious injuries when a freeway sign fell onto their vehicle on Interstate 77 in Charlotte, officials have confirmed. The Charlotte Fire Department responded to the incident on Friday night to discover that an overhead interstate sign had collapsed, pinning the driver inside the car. According to reports by WXII 12, emergency responders had to carefully work to free the trapped driver, a process that took roughly 30 minutes. Both victims were subsequently taken to the hospital where they are currently being treated for their injuries.
The collapse was reportedly caused by a suspected impaired driver who crashed into the sign structure. The North Carolina Department of Transportation indicated that the damage to the sign's support led to the unfortunate collapse. "A drunk driver crashed into one of the department's sign structures on I-77 South near Arrowood Road, causing the collapse," the Department of Transportation officials told WXII 12. The department is likely to assess their structures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Further details provided by WRAL included confirmation that first responders transported two people to the hospital, both of whom, including the driver of the crushed car, are dealing with serious injuries. The extent of the injuries and the current condition of the victims remain undisclosed.
As the investigation into the crash continues, the incident has raised concerns about the safety of overhead interstate signs and the structures that support them. "Charlotte Fire posted to social media, that the NC Department of Transportation said the overhead sign was hit by a suspected impaired driver prior to the collapse," noted an article from WFMY News 2.
