IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — An Iredell County sheriff’s deputy was involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer Thursday.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the scene along Highway 152 near Teeter Road just before 11 a.m.
We could see Deputy C. James’ cruiser off the side of the road with severe damage. The tractor-trailer, which was hauling 25 tons of sand, was on its side and had spilled its load.
1 of 7
"Somebody was watching over them for sure," witness Michael Burdette said.
Burdette was remodeling a house across the street with Oscar Brown. He heard the horn from the truck.
"I was like, 'Oh, dear. Somebody's gonna get hurt,'" Brown said.
They ran to the scene to help the drivers.
"Both men were in shock,” Burdette said. “The sheriff had a faint look to his face."
Troopers said the drivers saw the collision coming and made an important last-second decision.
"Looking at the damages between the two cars, looks like the cars definitely tried to serve to avoid each other,” Trooper C. Maher said. “So, it definitely could have been a lot worse. I'm glad that it wasn't."
There has not been enough information collected to determine a cause, yet, troopers said.
The sheriff said he will also conduct an internal investigation to make sure James, a veteran officer, followed the department’s protocol.
The sheriff said it doesn't appear that James was answering a call during the crash.
James is off duty recovering from minor injuries he suffered in the crash. He walked away from the wreck, and the truck driver had a shoulder injury, officials said,
One lane along Highway 152 was shut down for the investigation.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
