A Wednesday evening commute on I-77 in Huntersville turned deadly when a motorcycle collided with a car near Exit 23 at Gilead Road, shutting down the southbound side of the interstate for hours and grinding traffic to a halt.
The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. yesterday. State troopers identified the rider as 36-year-old Tywan Jacquez Jordan and said he was on a Kawasaki when the bike moved from the general-purpose lanes into a toll lane at an unauthorized point and hit a Tesla. Jordan died from his injuries, and troopers did not report any injuries to the Tesla’s occupants, according to WBTV.
Drivers on I-77 southbound saw a massive emergency response. The Huntersville Fire Department said more than a dozen emergency vehicles packed the interstate and that crews shut down both the express toll lanes and the adjacent general-purpose lanes at Exit 23. Fire officials posted from the scene, urging motorists to move over for responders and warning of major delays while the wreck was handled, according to the Huntersville Fire Department.
Toll Lanes and How Access Works
The I-77 express lanes run in the median between Exit 11 and Exit 36 and operate as a managed toll-lane project, NCDOT notes. Project documents state that motorcycles, transit vehicles and cars with three or more occupants can use the high-occupancy toll lanes for free, but that drivers are only allowed to enter and exit at specific access points. That limited access is expected to be part of what investigators review, according to the Finding of No Significant Impact.
Local Traffic and Safety Context
The express lanes have been politically contentious from the start, and the stretch between Exit 23 and Exit 28 has become a repeat trouble spot for backups and construction-related headaches, local reporting has documented. Coverage by The Charlotte Observer details how toll-lane access points and nearby interchange work have fed congestion and driver frustration in the corridor since the lanes opened.
The State Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash and has not released additional information, according to WBTV. Officials said motorists should brace for lingering delays while investigators and crews finish clearing the scene.
