Authorities say their VW Vanagan was heading along I-40 near the Highway 54 underpass just after 9 a.m. when the rear right tire blew out. As a result, the vehicle swerved onto the median. Authorities say three women and some cleaning equipment were ejected from the vehicle as it flipped over twice before landing on its top.
"Most of the time when they're ejected, they're not wearing their seat belts," Trooper J.W. Collins said.
Authorities say the three women who were thrown from the vehicle landed in some mud, which may have saved them from more serious injuries.
"They could have hit a lot harder. They could have hit a drain or anything like that, but it definitely softened the blow if it was raining," Trooper J.W. Collins said.
The ejected women admitted they were not wearing seat belts.
The driver of the vehicle was stuck in the vehicle for a while, but he was able to escape later. He was taken to WakeMed. The women were taken to Duke Medical Center.
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