Suspected drunk driver crashes into 5 construction workers on I-77

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Five construction workers are recovering after a driver crashed into them on the interstate Tuesday morning.

The workers were working on the Interstate 77 toll lanes near the Brookshire Freeway.

The vehicle ended up getting wedged between a paint truck and a construction truck.

IMAGES: Authorities investigate two serious crashes on both sides of I-77

Channel 9 was there as the workers were loaded into ambulances. All of them are expected to be OK..

Channel 9 was told construction crews had barriers in place Tuesday morning, but NCDOT officials said they will be taking a look to make sure it’s enough.

“Is there anything that is not in place? Is there something we can do to improve in areas to make it better, make it safer?” NCDOT’s Jen Thompson said.

Those questions are already being asked by the NCDOT especially considering how many workers were injured in one incident.

According to the NCDOT, almost 2,500 people were injured in work zone crashes in 2015 and the number of work zone crashes per year are up more than 60 percent since 2011.

A state OSHA official told Channel 9 this is the highest number of workers he remembers being injured at one time.

“One is too many. We don't want anyone to be injured. We're thankful it wasn't more serious,” he said.

The driver in the crash, 26-year-old Charles Breeding, faces DWI charges.

Troopers said he was under the influence when he crashed and that he had been charged with another DWI in 2009.

One of the workers hit in the crash talked to Channel 9 off camera. He couldn't say much because of company policy.

He was one of the lucky ones. Two men remain in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

DOT officials want everyone to slow down in construction zones but said even then, it's a dangerous job.

“There's always the risk people take doing this kind of construction,” Thompson said.

Click PLAY to watch tractor-trailer hit barrier

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