Accident shuts down N.C. 11 South

UPDATE 11 P.M.:

The N.C. Highway Patrol has released the names of those involved in tonight's accident. Joseph Heck of Greene County was driving the Firstmed ambulance in the left-hand lane of northbound N.C. 11, according to Tpr. Jackie Rogers, who spoke with Free Press Staff Writer  Justin Hill tonight.

Heck attempted to pass the vending company delivery truck in the right-hand lane, driven by Ira Grizzard of Grifton, but clipped the truck and crashed.

Heck and his co-worker, Amiee McKinney, 19, of Grifton, were both injured and airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Grizzard was not seriously injured.

UPDATE 10:10 P.M.

Progress Energy officials expect power to return to hundreds of customers in southwestern Lenoir County around midnight.

“That expectation is an estimated time but we’re definitely working as fast as possible to make that happen,” said Progress spokeswoman Jennifer Pittman.

Pittman said the outage had taken 3,000 customers offline at its peak around 6:30 p.m.; about 1,300 remain without power.

UPDATE 9:39 P.M.:

Residents of the homes around N.C. 11 South and Williams Loop Road are eagerly awaiting the restoration of power as Progress Energy crews work to repair utility pole sheared in two by this evening's accident.

One teenage resident, Brittney Medley, age 14, was standing in her front yard talking on the phone to a friend, when she saw the truck and the ambulance -- which were traveling north toward Kinston -- collide as the ambulance driver tried to pull in front of the truck.

"I knew it was going to be an accident," she said.

Medley said after the vehicles crashed, "that's when I didn't see anything else because I was running back to the house."

See Kinston.com after midnight Thursday for the full story.

UPDATE 8:55 P.M.:

Three people -- two employees in the ambulance and one in the delivery truck -- were injured in the accident; the two in the ambulance were airlifted by EastCare; the driver of the delivery truck was treated at the scene. Progress Energy is on site replacing the utility pole.

Also -- officials tell The Free Press all lanes are closed again for at least the next two hours as crews work on the power, cable and telephone lines that were destroyed in the crash.

UPDATE 7:45 P.M.:

Power is being slowly restored in area; the traffic lights at the intersection at 11/55 are back on. While southbound lanes on N.C. 11 are still shut down, northbound lanes on the highway are now open.

Troopers have said two people were injured in the accident and both were flown by EastCare to Vidant, formerly Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 7:35 P.M.:

Photo added.

UPDATE 7:10 P.M.:

The ambulance is owned by First Med Ambulance Company, a private company. An official from that company told David Anderson that two of his employees were involved in the accident and were evacuated by EastCare.

All power is out from the accident scene going back towards Kinston, all the way to Skinners Bypass, about 4 miles from the accident scene. There is also no power at the 11/55 intersection and at the shopping strip at that intersection, which includes a Piggly Wiggly, a Dollar General and a Subway restaurant.

The first place to have power is across U.S. 70 at Skinners Bypass.

UPDATE 6:55 P.M.:

An ambulance and a delivery truck belonging to East Coast Vending Inc. collided; the ambulance is upside down and pinned against a utility pole. Officials tell The Free Press everyone has been evacuated from the vehicles and EastCare has been utilized to transport patients from the scene.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A major accident has shut down all lanes of N.C. 11 South past the 11/55 split near Williams Loop Road. A two-vehicle accident has sheared a utility pole; according to scanner traffic, there is at least one injury.

The traffic light at the intersection of 11/55 has been shut off and police are directing traffic. An EastCare helicopter is in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot at the intersection.

Free Press senior staff writer David Anderson and veteran photographer Charles Buchanan are on their way to the scene. Updates coming.