Example of hard news story for newspaper. Facts and events are fabricated.
Two tractor-trailers collided on southbound Interstate 85 at 8 a.m. Friday, killing two people and injuring 20 others.
The “chain reaction” crash ultimately involved four tractor-trailers, and 14 cars, according to Sgt. Albert Wei of the Burlington Police Department.
The four tractor-trailers were spread throughout the road. One truck was positioned across three lanes, one was on its side, one was overturned and another stood upright. Some cars were turned on their sides or upside down.
The two most seriously injured were taken 50 miles away to the Wake Forest trauma center by the “Life Flight” helicopter from Alamance Regional Medical Center, according to Sullivan.
“The crash scene looked like something from a war zone when I arrived,” said Sullivan, Burlington Fire Chief. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my 18 and a half years with the fire department.”
All five of the Burlington Fire Department’s Ambulances were already on the scene, but ambulances from neighboring cities, including Greensboro, arrived, as well. Emergency workers scrambled as they tried to help the injured people.
“We had to cut the roofs off of three of the cars,” Sullivan said, “to free the drivers and passengers that were trapped inside.”
“This is awful,” said Marie Jones said, who was traveling to work with her husband when she witnessed the accident. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m just lucky me and my husband were far enough behind the accident that we weren’t affected.”
Drivers who had been stuck in their cars for hours became frustrated during the investigation and cleanup. As of 10 a.m., both northbound and southbound lanes of I85 were closed. Traffic was rerouted to I70, causing three-hour delays. Wei said he was not sure when I85 would reopen.
2 people killed in collision on I85
By
Brian Mezerski
Two tractor-trailers collided on southbound Interstate 85 at 8 a.m. Friday, killing two people and injuring 20 others.
The “chain reaction” crash ultimately involved four tractor-trailers, and 14 cars, according to Sgt. Albert Wei of the Burlington Police Department.
The four tractor-trailers were spread throughout the road. One truck was positioned across three lanes, one was on its side, one was overturned and another stood upright. Some cars were turned on their sides or upside down.
The two most seriously injured were taken 50 miles away to the Wake Forest trauma center by the “Life Flight” helicopter from Alamance Regional Medical Center, according to Sullivan.
“The crash scene looked like something from a war zone when I arrived,” said Sullivan, Burlington Fire Chief. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my 18 and a half years with the fire department.”
All five of the Burlington Fire Department’s Ambulances were already on the scene, but ambulances from neighboring cities, including Greensboro, arrived, as well. Emergency workers scrambled as they tried to help the injured people.
“We had to cut the roofs off of three of the cars,” Sullivan said, “to free the drivers and passengers that were trapped inside.”
“This is awful,” said Marie Jones said, who was traveling to work with her husband when she witnessed the accident. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m just lucky me and my husband were far enough behind the accident that we weren’t affected.”
Drivers who had been stuck in their cars for hours became frustrated during the investigation and cleanup. As of 10 a.m., both northbound and southbound lanes of I85 were closed. Traffic was rerouted to I70, causing three-hour delays. Wei said he was not sure when I85 would reopen.
