Tropical Storm Helene washed out multiple sections of Interstate 40, but that didn’t stop one motorist from bypassing a road block to try it anyway, according investigators in North Carolina.
The gamble ended badly, with the driver discovering too late that the asphalt — and mountainside that held it up — were gone.
It happened around 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, near the Tennessee state line, and photos shared by the Junaluska Fire Department show the vehicle “drove off Interstate 40 from a large hole in the roadway.”
The tumble ended with the vehicle teetering at the edge of the treacherous Pigeon River.
“Crews found the vehicle with a single occupant on its passenger side an estimated distance of 100 feet from the roadway,” the volunteer fire department reported in a news release.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers got the driver out and a rope system was created by teams of first responders working with Junaluska Fire Department to “bring the driver to an awaiting ambulance,” officials said.