Sauerkraut Slowed Cleanup At Scene Of I-85 Wreck

Both lanes were closed until about 1 p.m. following an early morning wreck.

The state Highway Patrol said two tractor-trailers and a passenger vehicle wereinvolved in the wreck around 5:50 a.m. Tuesday near mile marker 189 just south of Butner.

Troopers said a tractor-trailer carrying sauerkraut was traveling in the right lane when it crashed into the back of another tractor-trailer which was carrying hazardous materials. Those materials did not leak.

Officials said the tractor-trailer that caused the crash lost control, rolled over and caught fire. Troopers charged the driver, Dale Daniels, of Clyde, N.Y., with failing to decrease speed to avoid an accident.

A passenger vehicle was also involved.

"It is very serious. We're lucky it wasn't a fatality. It was just minor injuries in all parties involved," said Sgt. Jeff Freuler of the state Highway Patrol.

Southbound lanes were closed and traffic was backed up for 3 miles for several hours. At one point, one lane was reopened, but was later closed again.

The DOT said one reason the wreck removal took so long was that crews had to remove 40,000 pounds of sauerkraut from the tractor-trailer that caused the crash before it could be uprighted.