5 people injured after 'rental equipment' detaches from pickup, crashes into cars on US 70

Five people were injured, one critically, Tuesday morning after a piece of rental equipment being towed on a truck came loose from a pickup truck and crashed into two vehicles on U.S. Highway 70 near Princeton.

According to the driver of the pickup truck, the equipment was being taken from Greensboro to Goldsboro around 11:20 a.m.

The driver said the “high-lift” machine somehow unhooked from his truck and tumbled across the median and into oncoming traffic in the westbound lane. The device then crashed into two vehicles.

The driver said he was unable to keep the device from tumbling across the median, despite staying in front of it.

All five occupants of the two cars were injured in the crash, with one out-of-state passenger being taken to WakeMed with critical injuries.

Westbound lanes of U.S. 70 were closed for about an hour while the scene was investigated and cleared.

State Highway Patrol said their investigation into the accident is ongoing.