NORTH CAROLINA — A truck driver died Monday afternoon after a crash that shut down part of Interstate 42 in Johnston County.
Authorities say the crash happened just after 2 p.m. near Exit 7 at Ranch Road, where a tractor-trailer overturned and forced the eastbound lanes of I-42 to close.
According to state troopers, the truck — a 2026 International Truck LT625 pulling a cargo tank trailer carrying animal waste (fat) — veered off the road to the left. When the driver tried to steer back onto the interstate, the truck overturned.
The crash caused the cargo tank trailer to detach from the cab. The cab ended up on its roof in the roadway, while the trailer came to rest partially in the road.
The driver, Robert Lee Williams, 55, of Selma, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said he was wearing a seatbelt, and investigators do not believe speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.
Transportation officials expected the interstate to reopen by around 7 p.m., and drivers were advised to use alternate routes while crews cleared the scene.
