Pair of Crashes Cause Significant Traffic, Emergency Responses in Orange County on Friday

As people are starting their travels for the Labor Day weekend, those around Hillsborough are experiencing significant traffic delays from separate crashes.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office alerted drivers to a crash along Interstate 85 near the county line with Durham just before 1 p.m. on Friday, sharing an aerial photo of a tractor trailer truck crashed off the side of the northbound lane. The crash, which is just before Exit 170 and the Highway 70 exchange in Eno, is causing major traffic backup along the interstate as emergency responders closed the interstate down to one lane.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Within the hour, the sheriff’s office’s deputies responded to another crash not far off the interstate. A crash at the BP gas station off Highway 86 in Hillsborough led to an emergency response and significant backup along the road. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Chapelboro a driver using a U-Haul truck hit multiple vehicles and one person while turning into the pump station.

A picture of the law enforcement presence at the BP gas station located at 1811 NC-86 in Hillsborough. (Photo via Lana Pierce.)

Two people injured in the collision were transported to the hospital, with the one struck outside their vehicle being treated for serious injuries. While the crash is under investigation, the sheriff’s office said the incident is not being treated as an attack on the public’s safety. No other information is being made available as of 3 p.m.

Drivers were encouraged to detour the interstate and avoid using the Highway 86 BP gas station until both crash scenes are resolved and cleared, which happened by Friday evening.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story said two people were struck by the U-Haul truck. This has been updated to reflect only one person was hit outside their vehicle.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

‹

Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigating Shooting in Mebane; 3 Reported Injured

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with a release from authorities shared just after 12 p.m. on Wednesday. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that left three people injured on Wednesday morning. In a brief release before 9:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office said deputies responded to the UNC Hillsborough Emergency Department […]

Father Pleads Guilty in Court for Murder of Orange County 'Billboard Boy' and Wife

More than two decades after the skeletal remains of a 10-year-old boy were found under an Orange County billboard, the father of the boy pleaded guilty for his murder. John Russell Whitt, 57, shared his plea of guilty in the Orange County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. The official charges filed against Whitt were two murder charges […]

N I-85 Lane Reopened in Orange County

DOT officials say the lane has reopened for holiday travel.**** A wreck has left one lane of northbound I-85 near the Old 86 exit in Orange County Wednesday afternoon adding to delays from congestion of Thanksgiving holiday travel. AAA Carolinas predicted a record number of North Carolinians would be traveling more than 50 miles […]

Report: Tractor Trailer Drive Killed in Orange County Wreck

One lane of northbound traffic was opened just before three o’clock Friday afternoon.**** A wreck has closed all lanes of I-85 northbound at one o’clock Friday afternoon. North Carolina Department of Transportation officials posted on Twitter that the road was closed due to a wreck near Mile Marker 168. The thoroughfare is closed between […]

Positively Mebane: Circulators and Cupid Shuffles

This month, Kelly discusses the upcoming "Cupid Shuffle" on February 13 and a proposed fare-free transit circulator in Mebane.

Testimony to Resume in Trial Over Woods-Clark Killing; Here's Where Proceedings Stand

After four days of action last week, the jury will resume hearing people share their recollections around the two teenagers' 2022 deaths.

Orange County Public Transportation Piloting Fare-Free Model in 2026

Orange County Public Transportation will be piloting a one-year, fare-free model for its fixed-route transit services beginning Jan. 2, 2026. The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the move at its Dec. 9 meeting. In a press release, the county government hailed the move as “an important step in testing strategies to expand mobility, promote […]

Top Stories of 2025: Flash Flooding From Tropical Storm Chantal Damages Region, Changes Lives

Perhaps no singular event influenced the Orange County community's experience in 2025 more than Tropical Storm Chantal's floods in July.

Down on Copperline: Fiddler Joe Thompson’s Musical Legacy Remains Very Much Alive

Fiddler Joe Thompson has been gone for more than a decade, but his musical legacy remains very much alive and will be celebrated in Mebane.

Pair of Crashes Cause Significant Traffic, Emergency Responses in Orange County on Friday

As people are starting their travels for the Labor Day weekend, those around Hillsborough are experiencing significant traffic delays from separate crashes. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office alerted drivers to a crash along Interstate 85 near the county line with Durham just before 1 p.m. on Friday, sharing an aerial photo of a tractor trailer […]

›