A 17-year-old driver from Lexington suffered critical injuries after his vehicle crashed off the Buffalo Creek bridge on N.C. Highway 22 on Friday night.

First responders were dispatched to the Buffalo Creek bridge just after 8:45 p.m. following reports of a vehicle going off the bridge and catching fire with a person trapped inside.

According to High Falls Fire & Rescue, crews worked for approximately 15 minutes to free the driver from the vehicle. The teen was then transported to a nearby landing zone and airlifted to a trauma center.

The engine block detached entirely from the vehicle and caught fire, while the vehicle’s body was found upside down beneath the bridge.

N.C. Highway 22 was closed for in both directions for hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.

The cause of the crash still under investigation.