A driver was hospitalized with serious injuries Tuesday night after failing to stop at a Wake County intersection and slamming into a tree, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The crash happened around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Penny Road and Blaney Franks Road.
Troopers said the driver failed to stop at the intersection before the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, according to WRAL. The driver was then taken to the hospital with serious injuries, troopers said.
A Citizen alert described an incident at the intersection of Blaney Franks Road and Penny Road.
Not the First Wreck Along Penny Road
This isn't the first serious crash reported along Penny Road in southern Wake County. WRAL has previously reported on a three-vehicle wreck near Huntingwood Drive that left four people injured, in which troopers said the driver who rear-ended a truck was charged with failure to reduce speed, according to WRAL.
It remains unclear whether any citation or charge has been issued in Tuesday's crash at Penny and Blaney Franks roads. The driver's identity, age, and current condition have not been released.
Wake County's Busiest Intersections Carry Different Risks
Crash frequency across Wake County tends to cluster on major corridors rather than rural intersections like Penny and Blaney Franks roads. During the first half of 2025, the intersection of I-40 and Aviation Parkway logged 44 crashes, more than any other state-maintained road intersection in the county, per the same station's investigative reporting. I-440's intersections with Capital Boulevard, Glenwood Avenue and Wake Forest Road followed close behind, each recording between 37 and 41 crashes in that span.
But a North Carolina Department of Transportation official cautioned that high crash counts don't necessarily mean the most dangerous roads. Although they have the most crashes, the official said, they do not necessarily have the most deadly or serious crashes. The statewide data offers broader context but does not establish the crash history or safety conditions at the Penny Road and Blaney Franks Road intersection specifically.
