Please take a moment of silence for over 100 packages that lost their lives. A FedEx truck took a tumble off the highway and caught on fire. North Carolina residents shouldn’t be surprised if their deliveries are late. 

FedEx truck flips off North Carolina highway and erupts in flames 

Traffic was snarled for hours on Interstate 540 near Knightdale as a FedEx truck lost control. Firefighters with the Raleigh Fire Department shared that over 100 packages were destroyed. 

Some were crushed, others flew out of the trailer, and some unlucky boxes burned as the semi-truck burst into flames. 

Police officers responded to the scene around 5 AM after the vehicle flipped down an embankment. According to WRAL, the driver was taken to WakeMed with serious injuries. 

Lanes of traffic were closed for hours as emergency crews worked to contain the fire and clean up debris. Smoke could be seen in the sky from miles away. The guardrail was also damaged, but the underpass below the highway is fine. 

Heavy equipment was brought in to collect pieces of the mangled truck cab and to work around downed trees. Diesel started leaking from the truck, creating hot spots as fire spread. 

It’s unclear how much fuel leaked from the semi-truck, and there is an ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the crash. 

Those expected packages should use FedEx online tracking tools for updates. Senders will be notified if their package was destroyed. However, many boxes were safely recovered. 

FedEx thanks first responders for assisting its team member following the accident. It’s taking immediate steps to transport the impacted packages.