GREENSBORO, N.C. -- State troopers say ice is to blame for a huge fiery mess on Interstate 73 that has caused miles of traffic backup.
- A fiery accident cause major traffic issues outside of Greensboro.
- It occurred on Interstate 73 near Interstate 85.
- The driver of the tanker truck that flipped is expected to be OK.
One lane is now open.
It all started at around 7:30 Thursday morning. Troopers say Carl Wilson Throckmorton II, 40, from Scottsburg, Virginia, was driving a gasoline tanker truck southbound on I-73 over top of I-85 at the time. He had just left gasoline terminals in Greensboro and was traveling to Asheboro. He had approximately 8,500 gallons of gasoline in his tanker truck. They say Throckmorton lost control after exceeding safe speeds for the icy condition.
When he lost control, he traveled off the roadway, struck a snow bank, struck a bridge, struck a concrete barrier and then overturned. The truck flipped completely on its top. Fortunately, Throckmorton only sustained non life-threatening injuries and is expected to be OK.
Master Trooper Brandon Baker told us that he knows this has been an enormous inconvenience for many drivers, but any loss of life is too much, and he's thankful the situation did not end any worse.
DOT crews have inspected bridge and will reopen one lane on the I-73 southbound bridge. The other lanes could be closed for several more days.