A 69-year-old woman from Southern Pines died after she drove around barricades in western North Carolina where I-40 was washed away by Hurricane Helene.
According to the N.C. Highway Patrol, on Saturday around 8 p.m., Patricia Mahoney was traveling westbound on I-40 to Exit 7, where all travelers have to exit the interstate. That’s when, authorities say, the Mahoney made a wrong turn, and ended up traveling west in the I-40 eastbound lanes. That’s where the lanes were washed out by flood waters during Hurricane Helene.
Investigators say it would have been very dark at the time of the crash, and it appears the Mahoney never applied the brakes. The vehicle flew off the road, landed around 50 feet down the hole, and tumbled another 50 feet down.
Rescue crews repelled down the hole to the car, and were able to remove the Mahoney from the vehicle. She was life flighted from the scene, but later passed away from her injuries.
The crash remains under investigation, and has prompted officials to add more barricades in the area.
Photos from Junaluska Fire Department Facebook
