Truck driver charged in fatal 53 vehicle pileup on North Carolina interstate

A truck driver is facing charges in connection with a fatality that occurred during a large pileup crash in North Carolina on Wednesday.

The pileup began around 3 p.m. on February 19 on I-40 westbound at the I-85 southbound connector near Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Officials say that a crash occurred at 3:02 p.m. on westbound I-40 at Exit 261, then a second crash occurred at 3:24 in the same location.

These two crashes stopped traffic and sparked a 53 vehicle pileup along the I-40/I-85 connector.

As part of the I-40 pileup, a tractor trailer driven by William Crowell Kellam, 44, of South Carolina, struck the rear of a car driven by Jerolyn Day Wilson, 78.

Wilson died in the crash.

The Orange Rural Fire Department reported “multiple non-life threatening injuries.”

WRAL reports that Kellam was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and exceeding safe speed for conditions.