Police cruiser, tow truck involved in crashes as heavy rain falls in Triangle

The crashes involved a police cruiser, a tow truck, two pickup trucks and a Jeep, which became entangled in power lines.

Around 3:30 a.m., crews found an overturned white pickup truck along Interstate 40 in Clayton. Officials said the truck drove between the guardrails and down an embankment, overturning near a creek.

The Cleveland Fire Department called for a water rescue team when they were unable to locate the driver of the truck, but the driver was later located at a hospital. The condition of the driver was not provided.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was investigating the crash. According to firefighters at the scene, this is not the first time a driver has crashed in that spot.

In Raleigh, a car spun out and struck a large tree on westbound Wade Avenue near I 40 before 5 a.m. The driver's side airbag deployed.

Another truck overturned along I 40 before 5:30 a.m. near Benson.

According to the Meadow Fire Department, a truck hydroplaned and flipped on its side near Mile Marker 338.

Two people inside the truck were evaluated on scene but did not go to the hospital. A tow truck was working to remove the vehicle at 6:45 a.m.

In Durham, on Glenn School Road, a Jeep struck a power pole during heavy rain and got tangled up in it. The crash occurred before 5 a.m., and Duke Energy crews on the scene said repairs could take several hours.

Before 9 a.m., a tow truck hydroplaned and struck the concrete median barrier on I 40 near Rock Quarry Road. The owner of the wrecker company said the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries. It was the first time in 15 years one of his trucks was involved in an accident, he said.

A Smithfield Police Department cruiser was also involved in a single-car crash Sunday morning. The crash occurred before 8:30 a.m. on the on-ramp from U.S. Highway 70 to I 40. The officer was not injured.

Officials at the scene had no further details to share.