RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As Tropical Storm Ophelia cut through eastern North Carolina, it dumped several inches of rain in the Triangle, triggering dozens of wrecks in Raleigh Saturday morning and afternoon.
By 12:15 p.m., Raleigh police said there were at least 25 crashes in the city, but no one was seriously injured in the wrecks. At 3 p.m., Raleigh police said they were at least 40 wrecks they had responded to.
“We’ve had plenty of wrecks — a couple on their side and overturned,” said Raleigh Police Department Watch Commander Lt. Smith.
Smith said several of the crashes were on Interstate 440 and Interstate 540.
Just after 11:35 a.m. a box truck crashed on I-40 east at the I-440 split. The truck was on its side and did not appear to be blocking any lanes of I-40 east.
The most serious wreck happened in Frankin County just before 11 a.m. when a tree fell on a car near N.C. 98 and Floyd Road south of Louisburg and west of Bunn. A woman was driving an Audi sedan along the road when a tree fell and caused her to crash.
The woman had been extricated from the Audi and suffered a head wound. She was taken to WakeMed for treatment. Images from the scene showed the Audi’s roof was removed during the crash and extrication.
Before the crash, neighbors heard a tree fall and said the trees had been hanging over the road for a while.
In Wake Forest, a fallen tree blocked Front Street at East North Avenue starting around 10:30 a.m., according to Bill Crabtree, spokesman for the town of Wake Forest.
Crews were able to remove the tree in about 45 minutes, although initially, Crabtree said the road might be closed for hours.
