Traffic was snarled at two spots on 321 by wrecks that occurred Friday afternoon within minutes of each other.  Three vehicles were involved in a three-way crash on Blowing Rock Road near Boone Heights Drive, but injuries, if any, were minor. Moments later, a 4 p.m. wreck on U.S. 321 near Aho road sent three people to the hospital and tied up traffic for nearly an hour.
A Toyota turned left out of the Aho Convenience Center and into the path of a Ford Escort, according to Trooper Josh Hodges’s report. Both drivers, 95-year-old Jean Clawson of Blowing Rock in the Toyota, and  20-year-old Caleb Courreges of Conover in the Ford, were hurt, along with the passenger in the Ford, 20-year-old Barak Beam of Dunn.  All three were taken to Watauga Medical Center, but none of the injuries were serious. The Blowing Rock Fire/ Rescue worked to clean debris from the road and direct traffic.