Basic Facts
Crash date: 5-12-2026
Crash location: I-85 & Peach Orchard Rd., Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
People involved:
- Wesley Adams, 74
- Unidentified Truck Driver
- Unidentified Car Driver
Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash?: Unknown
Did authorities recommend criminal charges?: Unknown
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash?: Unknown
Accident Report
May 12, 2026, Wesley Adams was killed as the result of a dual 18-wheeler accident at around 6:00 p.m. on I-85.
Authorities said that the crash happened along northbound lanes of the interstate in the area of Peach Orchard Road, south of Salisbury.
Right now, the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed. Authorities said that 74-year-old Wesley Adams was in a tractor trailer going along the interstate. Another 18-wheeler was parked on the shoulder. Somehow, Wesley Adams’s truck crashed into the first one. A car was also somehow involved in the collision.
Due to the accident, Wesley Adams reportedly sustained fatal injuries. It’s unclear if anyone else was hurt. Additional details remain under investigation.
How Did This Accident Occur?
When folks see a driver crash into a parked vehicle along the highway, their immediate thought is usually that the driver in motion must have done something wrong. That’s certainly possible, and it’s worth investigating. However, there are other possible explanations to consider, as well.
What a lot of people fail to consider is that it can be dangerous to stop along an interstate—not just for the driver stopping but for other drivers passing that stopped vehicle. Especially with commercial vehicles, it’s really only supposed to be done in an unavoidable emergency. Even then, there are rules to follow, such as truck drivers being required to put out cones or flares behind their vehicles to ensure the obstruction is clearly visible.
I have seen plenty of serious commercial truck wrecks where someone was safely parked along the shoulder, and another driver just left their lane at the wrong time and hit them. In other situations, I’ve seen vehicles protruding into traffic, stopped without following proper procedures, or stopped for unacceptable reasons which made them an avoidable, unnecessary obstacle for other drivers. It’s important in a crash like this that investigators make that distinction rather than just assuming the driver in motion was the only one who had a responsibility to behave safely.
Do you agree the actions of all drivers involved in a crash like this deserve scrutiny—stationary or not? Let me know in the comments.
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