Two passengers escaped an overturned vehicle with minimal injuries on Monday afternoon. The single-vehicle crash occurred in the Eastwood community around 12:45 p.m. on June 20 and resulted in heavy damage and a temporary stop to the northbound lane of traffic.
The crash occurred just south of the Moore County L. E. O Association on Highway 15-501 when the driver of a Jeep Cherokee veered from the road and overturned. The Jeep was the only vehicle involved in the crash.
The driver, a male in his 70s, suffered what law enforcement referred to as a “medical episode,” which caused him to veer from the road and lose control of the Jeep. In an attempt to regain control, the driver then overcorrected, flipping the vehicle into an embankment.
Both the driver and his female passenger were transported to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital by Moore County EMS with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver had been traveling south prior to the wreck but crossed the centerline and crashed on the opposite side of the road, resulting in a temporary northbound closure. The Jeep was completely upended and sustained heavy damage to all parts of the vehicle.
First responders diverted traffic around the wreck for nearly an hour. Debris was cleared from the highway to allow traffic to continue moving once the driver and his passenger were safely removed from the scene.
Responding to the scene were Moore County EMS, the Eastwood Fire Department, the Carthage Fire Department, and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Abegail Murphy.