Tractor-trailer falls 50 feet from I-87 overpass; driver critically injured

A tractor-trailer went over the side of the I-87 ramp to I-440 East in Raleigh around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, falling roughly 50 feet into a wooded area and leaving the driver with injuries emergency responders described as life-threatening. The vehicle was a 2017 International LT625 loaded with a large amount of green fertilized seed corn.

Witnesses told investigators the truck was traveling about 70 mph as it entered a posted 55-mph zone on the elevated ramp, then rode up onto the outside concrete wall before going up and over the side of the overpass and into the trees below. Investigators at the scene documented the truck’s path over the outer barrier and the 50-foot drop into the woods beneath the I-87/I-440 interchange.

Emergency crews rushed the driver to a hospital with serious injuries; officials have not released the driver’s name, age, employer, or the receiving medical facility. Police have not reported any additional injured motorists, and no arrests or citations were announced at the scene as of the initial investigation.

The ramp from I-87 to I-440 East was closed for about 2½ hours as crews worked the scene and cleared the southside wooded area where the truck landed. Eastbound and westbound lanes near the I-87/I-440 interchange were impacted during the closure, causing heavy delays on a major commuter corridor for Raleigh drivers that use I-87 (signed in parts as I-440) to connect across the city.

The Raleigh Police Department is investigating the crash and has said the incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers for anonymous reporting options or call (919) 996-1193. Investigators listed witness speed estimates and the truck’s movement over the concrete barrier among the initial facts they are examining.

The cargo, fertilized seed corn, and the 50-foot drop raise immediate cleanup and environmental questions for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and commercial vehicle safety authorities, including whether spilled cargo or vehicle fluids posed a contamination or traffic safety hazard. The crash also highlights enforcement and safety issues for commercial vehicles on elevated ramps in Wake County, where a 55-mph posted limit on the ramp contrasts with the witness estimate of about 70 mph. Raleigh Police and commercial vehicle enforcement units are expected to review vehicle condition, driver qualifications, and whether mechanical failure or a medical event contributed as they build a formal reconstruction of the crash.