Local

Neighbors say tractor-trailer drivers keep getting stuck on dead-end street

By Dave Faherty, wsoctv.com
By Dave Faherty, wsoctv.com

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Neighbors who live on a dead-end street near Morganton say tractor-trailer drivers are getting stuck there. They say the drivers are getting routed to Lytle Drive when they should be driving to the street right next to it.

The highway patrol says GPS systems direct the truck drivers to Lytle Drive but there’s nowhere to turn around. Troopers said the truck drivers are trying to get to Ceramic Tile Drive, but are directed down Lytle Drive instead.

ALSO READ: Pastor tells truck driver who wrecked his church that he loves him

Just Thursday morning, the highway patrol responded after an 18-wheeler tore a meter box off a home while backing out. Lakeisha Dula, the homeowner, said she was left without power.

Trucks stuck on dead-end street Neighbors who live on a dead end street near Morganton say tractor-trailer drivers are getting stuck there. They say the drivers are getting routed to Lytle Drive when they should be driving to the street right next to it.

Dula said she followed the truck after it did the damage and snapped a photo for police.

“A lot of times I come out to the porch to warn them because they have to back all the way down here,” she said.

It happened again while Channel 9′s Dave Faherty was working on his story. The fourth truck in a 24-hour period turned down the street while Faherty was there. The driver said his Garmin GPS took him down Lytle Drive.

“I just followed the GPS and did not see any signs saying do not make the left turn,” Avto Gskehvaravze said.

Neighbors say two to three big rigs turn down Lytle Drive every day, even in the middle of the night, only to find out there’s no turnaround and no access to the companies there.

ALSO READ: NC highway patrol uses AI equipment to crack down on truck drivers

Clifton Summers Jr. lives about a quarter mile away from Dula. He showed Faherty where some of those tractor-trailers have turned around in yards, taking out mailboxes and causing other damage.

“You get three to four trucks a day and then you get power lines tearing down people’s mailboxes,” Summers said. “It causes traffic to jam up and someone’s going to get seriously hurt.”

State troopers said they’ve responded five times over the last two weeks.

Faherty reached out to Garmin to make them aware of the GPS problem and asked them to investigate why it’s happening. He also checked Google Maps directions but they took him the correct way.

State troopers said they reached out to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which put a sign up. But that, too, along with the power pole next to it were taken out by another 18-wheeler. The highway patrol said they’ve already reached out to the state to put up additional signage.

(WATCH BELOW: For the long haul: Panthers vet building future as trucking company CEO)

For the long haul: Panthers vet building future as trucking company CEO

©2024 Cox Media Group

Most Read