Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, Nov. 28-29, 2025, authorities said.
WSOC
Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, authorities said.
Around 11 p.m., traffic was detoured onto Nations Ford Road, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported on social media site X. Police urged drivers to seek alternate routes.
The highway reopened at 5:45 a.m., according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The injured people were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, MEDIC said on X.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
Firefighters work to free a driver after an overhead sign collapsed onto a car on Interstate 77 South in Charlotte late Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Charlotte Fire Department
An overhead sign on Interstate 77 collapsed onto a car in Charlotte, trapping the driver and closing the southbound lanes for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, firefighters and state highway officials said.
The driver and another person were hospitalized with serious injuries, Charlotte Fire Department officials posted on social media with photos of the wreck.
It was not clear what caused the sign to collapse and whether the second person hurt was in the injured driver’s car or another vehicle. Fire officials didn’t say in their post, and a State Highway Patrol spokesman has not yet responded to a request for more information.
Emergency crews respond to a trapped driver after an overhead sign collapsed onto a car on Interstate 77 South in Charlotte late Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Charlotte Fire Department
Fire engines, other rescuers respond to scene
Charlotte Fire Department Engine 12 “arrived within minutes, confirmed entrapment and began patient care,” according to the Fire Department social media post.
An overhead sign on Interstate 77 collapsed onto a car in Charlotte, trapping the driver and closing the southbound lanes for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, firefighter Charlotte Fire Department
“Ladder 20, which went into service earlier this month, and Rescue 10 worked together to free the driver, completing a complex extrication in under 30 minutes,” fire officials said.
Other responders, including the USAR search and rescue team, helped control the scene, officials said.
“Despite the cold conditions and the challenging scene, Charlotte Fire crews worked with precision and teamwork to manage the incident safely and protect everyone on scene,” the fire department post said.
Detour, unanswered questions
Around 11 p.m., traffic was detoured onto Nations Ford Road, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported on social media site X. Police urged drivers to seek alternate routes.
Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, Nov. 28-29, 2025, authorities said. WSOC
The highway reopened at 5:45 a.m., according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The injured people were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, MEDIC said on X.
The State Highway Patrol did not report how many vehicles were involved or the type of vehicles. They did not explain the cause of the crash or whether any of the drivers were impaired. They did not provide the names, ages or conditions of the people involved.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 7:32 AM.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
