Man killed in fiery crash involving tractor trailer in Iredell County

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - One person was killed in a fiery crash involving a tractor trailer and an SUV in Iredell County Wednesday morning.

The wreck happened around 9 a.m. on Salisbury Road, just off I-77, in Statesville. Troopers say the driver of the SUV crossed the center line and collided with the tractor trailer before catching on fire.

The driver of the SUV, identified as 27-year-old Luis Alberto Gamez Martinez, was killed in the crash.

The tractor trailer, after being struck by the SUV, went off the road and narrowly missed a home. The woman who lives in the home said the sound of the crash was terrifying. She called 911 immediately.

“I thought here I am, 82 years old, and all these people out here - and I knew they were dying," the homeowner told WBTV. "I kept telling the person on the other end of the line ‘please, it’s terrible, it’s terrible.’”

The roadway at the scene was completely shut down for some time and troopers asked other drivers to avoid the area.

Officials say the 55-year-old driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

Troopers say no charges are being filed and no further information has been released.

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