Three motorists who blocked traffic on Interstate 40 Wednesday morning have been charged with impeding traffic and careless & reckless driving.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol issued a release on Wednesday saying troopers responded to a scene in Wake County where three vehicles were driving 10 miles per hour while blocking all westbound travel lanes to include the emergency lane. The motorists were stopped near the 291 mile marker and were taken into custody by troopers without incident.
The News and Observer reported the slowdown may have been a protest of systemic racism, beginning at 8:46 a.m. to honor George Floyd. The outlet said no group officially organized the incident, but the idea was publicized by the organization Young Americans Protest.
The State Highway Patrol listed the three people who were charged: Rachel Jones of Carrboro, Kristina Breneman of Raleigh and Taari Coleman of Raleigh.
“This morning’s protest on one of our state’s major thoroughfares placed motorists in needless danger,” said Colonel Glenn McNeill, Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol, in a release. “The actions demonstrated by the protesters involved increased the probability for collisions to occur, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Our response echoed the Highway Patrol’s commitment to public safety.”
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