On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about 1:22 p.m., a Freightliner combination vehicle operated by Leonard’s Express was traveling north in the right lane of Interstate 95 near Kenly, Wilson County, North Carolina. The driver did not slow as the vehicle approached a slow-moving traffic queue that had formed due to a temporary work zone and lane closure about 1.7 miles north. The combination vehicle struck the rear of a slow-moving 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe at an estimated speed of 70 mph, resulting in a crash sequence that involved three other vehicles in the queue. A postcrash fire ensued and consumed the combination vehicle, which came to final rest in the left lane. Five people died and three sustained minor injuries.
We determined that that the probable cause of the Kenly, North Carolina, crash was the Freightliner driver’s inattention and failure to respond, for unknown reasons, to the visibly slow-moving vehicles at the end of a traffic queue caused by a temporary work zone and associated lane closure ahead. Contributing to the severity of the crash and occupant injuries were the speed, weight, and bumper height differentials between the striking vehicle and the slow-moving vehicles in the traffic queue.
Preventing Rear-End Work Zone Crashes Involving Commercial Motor Vehicles
The NTSB continues to advocate for comprehensive strategies to prevent rear-end crashes, including crashes involving heavy vehicles. For example, our safety recommendations call for the establishment of federal regulations for in-vehicle technologies such as forward collision warning systems in commercial vehicles, onboard monitoring systems to aid driver training and ensure driver compliance with regulatory requirements essential for safe operation, and driver monitoring systems that detect risky driving behavior. We have also issued safety recommendations to amend national guidance for work zone projects on freeways and expressways to advise traffic engineers on the use of supplemental traffic control strategies to mitigate crash events involving heavy vehicles.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has launched a national safety campaign, “Our Roads, Our Safety.” One of the campaign’s focus areas is distracted driving. With this campaign, the agency encourages commercial motor vehicle drivers to put phones away, set navigation and routes before starting to drive, and get adequate rest before a trip. The agency’s work zone safety campaign, a second focus area, calls for drivers to pay attention, slow down, and be aware of lane closures, among other safety tips.
