Robert Thomas Odom, 60, of Battleboro, may have had a heart attack before his tractor-trailer ran off the road and struck the Webb Road bridge, according to N.C. Highway Patrol reports.

Though no witnesses came forward to describe Odom’s driving before the accident, medical papers were found in the wreckage and Odom’s employer verified he had a history of heart problems.

Trooper D. H. Robinson estimated the speed at impact to be 35 mph but the truck may have done up to a half a million dollars in damage to the bridge.

Resident Engineer David Black, for the N.C. Department of Transportation construction department said the builders of the new Webb Road bridge said damage could range from $10,000 to $500,000.

“It is hard to put a number on the damage,” said Black. Design engineers from Raleigh will be looking at the bridge today to determine the extent of the damage.

He also said, “by a visual inspection, the engineers will be able to determine how much correction will need to be made.”

The Rowan County Rescue Squad was called to the scene to free the driver, but he had already died when they arrived.

High pressure cutters and the Jaws of Life were used to remove the body from the wreckage, according to Rescue Squad Chief Coyt Karriker.

The Bostian Heights Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene for fire suppression protection.

And it took three tow trucks, one on the bridge, and two at each end of the truck to unwedge it from under the bridge.