Flipped tractor-trailer, second serious crash block Catawba County highway

A tractor-trailer flipped over and a second second serious crash both blocked a Catawba County highway Wednesday afternoon.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew overhead the crashes around 12:30 p.m. They happened on Highway 321 about a mile apart.

The first happened around 11:15 a.m., troopers said. Investigators said an 18-wheeler flipped onto its side, stopping in the median on Highway 321 South near North Carolina Highway 10.

The driver wasn’t seriously hurt and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

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Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured video of the truck and the contents it lost. It appeared to have been carrying some sort of cement blocks or construction materials, and the load spilled all over the median.

The left lanes in both directions of the highway were shut down.

The second crash happened at 12:10 p.m., investigators said, and several cars were involved. Troopers said it happened about a mile away on Highway 321 North.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured one heavily damaged car that flipped onto its roof on an embankment.

Highway 321 was completely closed in both directions in that area and a medical helicopter landed on the highway. One person was flown to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, highway patrol said.

Traffic was detoured off the highway, onto the exit, and back to 321 after the crash. The highway reopened in that area around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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