Wreck on US 64 closed road and prompted evacuation

Posted Wednesday, June 29, 2005

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Siler City, NC – At 3:25 p.m. today a truck loaded with explosive materials wrecked on U.S. 64 on the west side of Siler City in front of the Pentecostal Holiness Church. U.S. 64 was closed in both directions from Ellington Road to Glenn Avenue.

The potentially explosive materials were off-loaded from the scene. The Siler City Police Department and Chatham County Sheriff’s Office went door-to-door to evacuate residents in the area. Residents that were evacuated as a precautionary measure were allowed to return home around 8:00 p.m.

The truck owned by Orica Mining Services collided head-on with a passenger van. No one in the truck was hurt, but the van's driver was airlifted from the scene to UNC Hospitals with serious injuries

Orica is a leading supplier of commercial explosives and blasting systems. The truck was on its way to Gold Hill.

People traveling on U.S. 64 west of Siler City are advised that traffic is restricted to one-lane in each direction as clean-up of the site is completed.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol and Chatham County Emergency Operations were also on scene to manage the situation.