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.


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