• 19
  • August
    2010

Two women narrowly escaped being killed or seriously burned in an accident involving a tanker truck filled with fuel. The accident occurred around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 77 near Gold Hill Road. The driver of the tanker truck, Joshua Woodrow, of Charlotte, was reportedly killed in the collision.

Investigators are still unsure what caused the truck crash and are asking that any witnesses to the accident contact authorities to help shed light on possible causes. Woodrow had reportedly been driving large trucks for several years, and driving fuel trucks exclusively for the last two years. An investigation may take several weeks to determine the cause of the crash.

The two women that escaped the accident, Deloise Clawson and Rosa Caldwell, were driving south on I-77 in the same direction as the fuel truck when they heard a loud bang. According to their account of the accident, the truck struck their car and sent it into the median. The truck, already in flames, then came to a rest against the drivers' side door of Clawson's car.

After initially being trapped in the car, Caldwell was able to help pull Clawson out of the vehicle and avoid the flames that consumed the tanker truck. A passing motorist then helped the two women move a safe distance away from the burning vehicles. Fortunately for the two women, they suffered only bumps and bruises from the collision.

The crash and the resulting fire burned so hot that it damaged the surface of the road. Work crews began repaving two lanes of I-77 Tuesday, but the road was scheduled to be reopened by Wednesday evening.

Related Resources:

Lucky escape saved two women (Charlotte Observer)