Drivers headed northbound on I-85 outside of Charlotte, North Carolina were stopped for more than nine hours on Sunday as the result of a tractor-trailer crash that forced the closure of the busy freeway. The prolonged issue sparked a domino effect for those involved as, tragically, some had business to attend to while trapped in the miles-long gridlock. Fortunately, this problem was eventually solved when portable toilets were dispatched to relieve stopped-up drivers.
Reports from local news outlet WSOC claim that many were stranded with no end of the jam in sight, leading some to even abandon their cars roadside. For others, though, this simply wasn’t an option and they were quickly running out of solutions.
The Harris Teeter semi crashed around 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, after “swerving to miss a disabled vehicle.” The road wasn’t reopened until 11:35 a.m. and officials claim the process took so long because they had to unload the groceries the truck was carrying before giving the go-ahead for through traffic.
Alternate routes were posted, though WJYZ reports that it took over an hour to travel a mile.
Luckily, no injuries were reported as a result of the crash. However, we imagine the porta-loos took a sizable hit given the sheer number of people on the roads.
While this particular traffic jam doesn’t size up to our all-time top-10 list, it’ll surely go down as one of the most memorable of 2019. And we’re okay with that.