Travelers Go Around I-40 Road Closure And Take A Plunge

Several people are lucky to be alive after they drove around the Road Closed barrier on I-40 at the Tennessee/North Carolina line and wound up down near the Pigeon River after driving off a portion of the washed out roadway. Rescue workers from the Junaluska, NC Fire Department and the Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department responded and had to lower ropes to the individuals to pull them back to safety. Cocke County Swift Water Rescue also responded just in case the vehicle went into the water. Several other NC departments including the North Carolina Highway Patrol and Haywood County EMS responded to the scene as well. Priority Ambulance from Cocke County also responded.

The Haywood County NC Sheriff’s Office stated in a Junaluska Fire Department Facebook post that “Barricades are there for your safety and to direct traffic away from hazards. Ignoring them can lead to serious accidents or injuries.”

Several portions of I-40 eastbound were washed out during the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.