One Dead, Two Injured in Wrong-Way Crash and Fire on I-40

A Honda CR-V traveling the wrong way at high speed on the Interstate 40 ramp from Sandy Ridge Road slammed into two other vehicles Wednesday afternoon, killing the CR-V's driver at the scene and igniting fires in two of the cars involved.

The crash occurred around 12:09 p.m. near Exit 208 on I-40 West in Greensboro. Greensboro Police, the Greensboro Fire Department, and Guilford County EMS all responded. Firefighters extinguished the flames while officers rerouted traffic, and the roadway remained closed for more than five hours before reopening.

The driver of the CR-V was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not publicly identified the victim. The two other drivers were transported to nearby hospitals; most accounts from Greensboro police describe their injuries as non-life-threatening, though initial emergency services reports cited one patient with minor injuries and a second with critical injuries. That discrepancy has not been formally resolved, and the Greensboro Police Department has not yet released updated condition information for either hospitalized driver.

WXII also reported that the crash appeared to involve a power truck and that heavy smoke was visible at the scene, though other outlets described only passenger vehicles. Greensboro Police have not confirmed the full vehicle roster involved.

The Greensboro Police Department's Crash Reconstruction Unit is leading the investigation. No cause for the wrong-way driving has been released, and no information on impairment or potential charges has been made public as of Thursday morning.

Anyone with information about the crash can contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or submit an anonymous tip through the P3tips app or P3tips.com.