By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Florida truck driver was charged after he lost control of his tractor-trailer in the southbound lane of Interstate 85 and it overturned, leaving traffic backed up for nearly four hours.
The wreck happened at 11:37 a.m. Monday.
Semsudin Bedakoeic, 60, was charged with failure to maintain lane control, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.R. Morgan.
Morgan said Bedakoeic was traveling south near exit 81 when he ran off the left side of the road into the median. When he overcorrected, the truck overturned and came to a stop facing north on the shoulder.
“He was initially trapped but was able to get out,” Morgan said.
The driver was not injured. No other vehicles were involved.
A tow truck was called in to right the wrecked tractor-trailer. Southbound lanes were fully opened up about 3 p.m., Morgan said. Bedakoeic owns the truck but was hauling for Aqua-Gulf Xpress Inc. in Florida.
Initial reports indicated the truck caught fire, but Morgan said he believed a cooling unit exploded, causing black smoke to rise into the air. The truck did not catch fire, he said.
Millers Ferry and Churchland Fire departments responded, along with Rowan County EMS and the Rowan County Rescue Squad.