At least one person died early Friday in a multi-vehicle crash that shut down a stretch of Capital Boulevard in northeast Raleigh, turning the morning commute into a standstill as investigators tried to piece together what happened near the intersection with Trawick Road.
According to WRAL, Raleigh police were called around 2:30 a.m. to a collision involving two motorcycles, a tow truck and a car at Capital Boulevard and Trawick Road. WRAL's Breaking News Tracker, which arrived about 3:40 a.m., reported officers covering a body with a white sheet as yellow police tape blocked off multiple sections of the roadway. The outlet also noted the car had heavy front-end damage and that the road would remain closed until further notice while investigators worked the scene.
Where it happened
The crash took place at the Capital Boulevard and Trawick Road intersection, a busy corridor where the city has been talking for years about how to make things safer. The City of Raleigh is planning a Marsh Creek Road and Trawick Road improvement project that would add sidewalks, bike infrastructure and traffic-calming measures to improve safety along the route, according to the City of Raleigh. Design work is underway, but construction is still waiting on funding.
Capital Boulevard safety record
Capital Boulevard has already been flagged in city traffic planning as home to several high-crash locations, and Raleigh's Vision Zero program specifically targets those hotspots for upgrades. A city traffic memo that lays out the top crash locations and corresponding Vision Zero countermeasures underscores the corridor's long-standing safety concerns, according to Raleigh BoardDocs. The document notes a mix of completed and planned improvements aimed at cutting down on serious injuries and fatalities.
Investigation ongoing
Raleigh police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash and have not released additional information about the victims or a possible cause. WRAL reported it was working to learn more about what led up to the collision and the full extent of injuries. Local authorities have asked drivers to avoid the area while investigators remain on scene. This article will be updated as officials release more details.
