ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A person has died following a crash on Tuesday evening on Interstate 85 in Rowan County.
It occurred just before 6 p.m. near Peach Orchard Road.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, a tractor-trailer was stopped when it was rear-ended by a second tractor-trailer. Both vehicles then caught on fire.
The victim in this collision was later identified as 74-year-old Wesley James Adams of McDonough, Georgia.
The crash sparked a massive fire and triggered a hazardous‑materials cleanup that shut down the interstate for hours.
Viewer video shows flames shooting into the air as both trucks burned. When Channel 9 arrived, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol took our crew onto the interstate to see the cleanup up close.
Crews were dumping a neutralizing substance from large bags to treat the hazmat spill before the road could safely reopen.
From the interstate, the damage was clear: one truck had jackknifed and caught fire, and both rigs were heavily burned from front to back.
“Anytime you have a CMV collision on the interstate, it’s always hard to deal with,” Trooper Whit Efrid said.
Drivers still looking for an alternate route can exit onto Lane Street, then take Old Concord Road all the way to Salisbury.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.
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