TRUCK DRIVER IN I-26 ACCIDENT DIDN'T HAVE CDL LICENSE. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE TRUCK WHEN SUDDENLY CHANGED LANES CAUSING THE LOAD TO SHIFT THAT IN TURN CAUSED THE ROLLOVER OF THE TRUCK.
Thursday,
January 29 2015
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The driver of a work truck that crashed on I-26 Wednesday
morning causing hours of delays was not properly licensed, according to
Asheville Police.
Joshua Jolly, 21, was driving a 28,000 pound 1997 Ford flatbed truck on I-26 westbound near the I-40 split when he swerved from the left lane to the right, according to witnesses.
Asheville Police say that caused the load he was carrying -- heavy DOT guardrail installation equipment -- to shift behind him, changing the weight distribution on the vehicle and causing the truck to rotate.
Investigators say the truck then flipped multiple times, and Jolly, of Pacolet, S.C., was thrown from the vehicle because he was not wearing his seatbelt.
The accident caused delays along I-26 westbound during the busy morning commute, as both lanes were shut down for hours.
The Traffic Safety Unit of APD says with a truck that size, Jolly should have had a Commercial Driver's License--commonly known as a CDL--which is required for vehicles that weigh 26,001 pounds or more.
Jolly works for Bullington Construction of Oakboro, a company that is contracted with the NCDOT to perform work. A DOT official said his preliminary findings led him to believe Jolly was not on his way to a DOT work site in Buncombe County, but he is continuing his inquiry.
A manager at Bullington confirmed Jolly was driving a work vehicle on his way to a work site, but would not comment further. Later calls to Bullington regarding Jolly not having a CDL license were not returned.
Jolly was in critical condition with severe head trauma as of Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
Joshua Jolly, 21, was driving a 28,000 pound 1997 Ford flatbed truck on I-26 westbound near the I-40 split when he swerved from the left lane to the right, according to witnesses.
Asheville Police say that caused the load he was carrying -- heavy DOT guardrail installation equipment -- to shift behind him, changing the weight distribution on the vehicle and causing the truck to rotate.
Investigators say the truck then flipped multiple times, and Jolly, of Pacolet, S.C., was thrown from the vehicle because he was not wearing his seatbelt.
The accident caused delays along I-26 westbound during the busy morning commute, as both lanes were shut down for hours.
The Traffic Safety Unit of APD says with a truck that size, Jolly should have had a Commercial Driver's License--commonly known as a CDL--which is required for vehicles that weigh 26,001 pounds or more.
Jolly works for Bullington Construction of Oakboro, a company that is contracted with the NCDOT to perform work. A DOT official said his preliminary findings led him to believe Jolly was not on his way to a DOT work site in Buncombe County, but he is continuing his inquiry.
A manager at Bullington confirmed Jolly was driving a work vehicle on his way to a work site, but would not comment further. Later calls to Bullington regarding Jolly not having a CDL license were not returned.
Jolly was in critical condition with severe head trauma as of Thursday evening at 6 p.m.