February 2nd, 2010 | 
Author: DAVIDSON, NC – A tractor trailer transporting U.S. Mail slid off a slippery North Carolina highway Saturday afternoon and almost fell into Lake Norman. The truck accident happened on Interstate 77 near the town of Davidson, NC. The area is in the Charlotte metropolitan region in the far southwest section of the state, 164 miles west of Raleigh, NC and 260 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
The cab of the tractor trailer dangled off the bridge edge, a few feet from the cold water.
At approximately 1:00 p.m. Saturday, the unidentified tractor truck driver was traveling south on I-77. The region was under a severe winter storm advisory and the roads were extremely icy…
As the truck driver, who was transporting U.S. Mail, drove across the causeway that connects Lake Norman and Lake Davidson he apparently hit a section of ice and lost control of the 18 wheeler near mile marker 30. The mail truck crashed into the guardrail and then went off the edge of the bridge and almost dove completely into the lake. Some reports claim that the truck spun around before crashing off the bridge.
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The cab of the tractor trailer dangled off the bridge edge, a few feet from the cold water. The truck driver was able to escape from the truck cab and reportedly was not seriously injured in the truck accident.
A second tractor trailer truck which had been behind the mail truck on highway I-77 ended up in the center dividing median when it maneuvered to avoid a collision. The truck driver was also uninjured in the truck accident.
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Davidson police responded to the scene of the truck accident, as did officers with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.The southbound lanes of I-77 were shut down so crews could work on removing the U.S. Mail truck from the bridge. Southbound traffic was diverted off the highway at exit 31 (Langtree Road) and sent down Highway 115.
The northbound lanes of I-77 were not closed but traffic slowed considerably as drivers looked at the dangling tractor trailer. Several nearby residents also got into their personal boats and maneuvered across Lake Norman to get a closer look at the truck accident. Some reported smelling diesel fuel in the water.
DOT crews took several hours to remove the disabled 18 wheeler from the highway bridge. Once it was removed the crews worked at repairing the crushed guardrail.
STREET VIEW
During the hours that the lanes were shut down, the highway turned into a solid sheet of ice as the winter storm raged on. DOT officials had the crews re-salt the highway before they would open up the lanes. It would be nightfall before all the lanes on I-77 were open to traffic.
DOT investigators are looking at the cause of the truck accident. While the icy road conditions are the likely reason, at least one witness says that the U.S. Mail truck was swerving to avoid hitting another vehicle.
No charges have been made, and the truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about North Carolina trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact our nationwide truck accident attorneys for the best advise possible. For a free initial consultation, talk to a NC truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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