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Police reveal details of fatal crash that closed highway near Charlotte on Saturday

A driver died on Interstate 40 north of Charlotte on Saturday after he failed to slow for stopped traffic, North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Casey said.

Wesley Edward Mallory, a 46-year-old Morganton resident, died when his 2008 Ford Fiesta supermini car smashed into an 18-wheeler stopped in the right westbound lane near the Stamey Farm Road exit, Casey said in a news release.

That’s in western Iredell County near Catawba County.

The 61-year-old tractor-trailer driver wasn’t hurt in the noon wreck, Casey said. Both drivers had seat belts on, he said.

No charges will be filed, according to the trooper.

The crash closed the interstate for two hours. Traffic was detoured as troopers investigated the crash, Casey said.

This story was originally published October 7, 2023 at 1:45 PM.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
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
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