U-Haul lands vertically in 2 am crash on NC highway and social media is dumbfounded

A driver who somehow landed a U-Haul vertically along a North Carolina highway has captured the imagination of social media, and questions continue to outnumber answers.

The crash happened just after 2 a.m. Friday, April 28, on Highway 70 near Kinston, and it resulted in the driver being trapped about 15 feet straight up as the truck sat on its tailgate. Kinston is about 80 miles southeast of Raleigh in Lenoir County.

“Crews arrived to find a U-Haul box truck standing straight up on the side of the road with a vehicle in tow,” North Lenoir County Fire & Rescue posted on Facebook.

“The occupant was assisted in exiting the vehicle and there were no injuries.”

First responders did not identify the driver or say how the rescue was staged without tipping the truck over.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and, as of May 1, has not returned calls from McClatchy News seeking a narrative and details of any charges.

Storms were crossing the state at the time of the crash. However, a photo shared on Facebook by rescuers does not show the 22-foot-long truck sustained damage. The car it was towing ended up a few feet away, the photo shows.

Hundreds have posted reactions and comments on the Fire & Rescue department’s Facebook post, including many asking “how in the world” it happened. Others wondered if the photo was a hoax.

“I have a lot of physics questions about this,” Dameon J. Whitaker wrote on Facebook.

“Not an every day wreck right there,” Tony Bailey said.

“I got 10G says they can’t do it again,” Van Mills wrote.

This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 7:07 AM with the headline "U-Haul lands vertically in 2 am crash on NC highway and social media is dumbfounded."