JOHNSTON COUNTY — All eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 have reopened after a fatal three-vehicle crash shut down traffic Thursday afternoon near mile marker 311, close to Veterans Parkway.
The collision was reported at approximately 3:56 p.m., involving a blue Mini Cooper, a red Ford F-150 pickup, and a black Jeep Grand Cherokee — all traveling in the same eastbound lane.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash began when the Mini Cooper slowed down, prompting the Ford F-150 to collide with it from behind. The impact caused the pickup truck to veer off the roadway onto the right shoulder. Moments later, the Jeep Grand Cherokee also struck the Mini Cooper from the rear.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, Cheryl Elaine Boesel, of Hope Mills, tragically died at the scene…