RALEIGH, N.C. — As if truckers’ duties weren’t hampered by enough obstacles while out on the road, many 18-wheelers and other vehicles were subjected to lengthy delays on the night of Dec. 18 along Interstate 40 in North Carolina after a group of people blocked the eastbound lanes by performing stunts with their cars.
Charges have been filed against three adults and a teenager in connection with the disturbance, the state Highway Patrol said.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports troopers responded to reports of vehicles blocking all eastbound lanes of I-40 near Aviation Parkway, close to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, shortly after 11 p.m. on Dec. 18, patrol spokesperson Sgt. Christopher Knox said.
The vehicles were reported to be performing “donuts,” maneuvers in which drivers spin their cars in circles.
Video posted on Instagram showed at least two cars spinning in circles in the middle of the highway, while a small crowd of people stood nearby cheering them on, the newspaper reported.
Troopers cleared the highway, which led to the people involved in the stunts to disperse, leading to two pursuits, Knox said.
Long-haul trucker Jimbo Casey of Oklahoma said he was stuck in traffic for “a good long while.”
“I didn’t know what was going on for a few minutes, but word finally got out that there were some idiots doing burnouts on the freeway,” Casey said. “I mean, how stupid do you have to be?”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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