Two people were hospitalized Friday night after an overhead highway sign crashed onto a car on I-77 south in Charlotte, trapping the driver and shutting lanes for hours, the Charlotte Fire Department said.
Firefighters said they found the sign collapsed across the roadway and on top of a vehicle near Arrowood Road, extricated the driver in about 30 minutes and transported two patients with serious injuries, according to WRAL News. The North Carolina Department of Transportation told local outlets the structure was struck by a suspected drunk driver before it failed. (RELATED: California’s Booze Cruise Leniency Risks Federal Highway Funds)
“Late last night Charlotte Fire crews responded to a crash on I-77 South where an overhead interstate sign collapsed onto a car, trapping the driver beneath the wreckage,” the department posted on X, noting Engine 12 arrived within minutes and began patient care.”
Late last night Charlotte Fire crews responded to a crash on I77 South where an overhead interstate sign collapsed onto a car, trapping the driver beneath the wreckage.
Engine 12 arrived within minutes, confirmed entrapment and began patient care. Ladder 20, which went into… pic.twitter.com/FVAzXvn8SO
— Charlotte Fire Dept. (@charlottefire) November 29, 2025
Medic and multiple fire companies worked the scene while crews cleared the mangled gantry and reopened all lanes around daybreak, according to WSOC-TV. Photos from the scene show the sign frame sprawled across several lanes and a crushed SUV roof.
Authorities said the Interstate Maintenance Unit assisted firefighters and continue to review exactly how the impact led to the collapse, the outlet reported.