Nails on I-85 Cause 100 Flat Tires

By Steve Lyttle, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

Apr. 28–Between 50 and 100 motorists got a nasty surprise Thursday morning on Interstate 85 — flat tires.

The N.C. Highway Patrol says a truck carrying building materials apparently dropped screws on the northbound side of I-85 over a 30 to 35-mile stretch across Alamance and Orange counties.

Highway patrol troopers are not sure how many motorists suffered flat tires in the area around Burlington, but they said some of their vehicles were affected. At one point, the N.C. Department of Transportation sent out trucks to help motorists — but the trucks suffered flat tires, too.

Many motorists fixed tires themselves, troopers say.

Nobody has been charged in the case, but a truck driver called a Raleigh-area radio station Thursday morning and said he was responsible for the incident. He apologized to motorists but apparently did not identify himself.

————

—–

Copyright (c) 2006, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.