NC 18 was closed near the Wilkes-Alleghany line most of Thursday afternoon—then again most of the night for a wreck involving a tractor-trailer.

Rescue units from Wilkes and Alleghany were called to the scene of the 12:15pm after the driver lost control, and his rig careened 150 feet off of the highway, over the embankment and rolling over as it crashed into trees. The passenger, Illinois resident Sharon Malone was pinned in, pushed back into the sleeper area by the impact, while driver Dennis Schlze of Wisconsin hurt, but he managed to make his way back to the road and seek help. Baptist AirCare was called to the scene, a landing zone set up near the wreck, said to be near Blue Ridge Tabernacle Church.  The highway was again closed most of the night to facilitate the recovery of the truck and deal with its load of yogurt. The state patrol is issuing several charges from the wreck, according to the investigator.

Before that wreck could be cleared, Mountainview units, Wilkes Paramedics and Rescue all responded to a report of a vehicle that crashed in the woods off Glenn Dancy Road near Traphill Road.  In that, Joey Carico of Wilkesboro simply did not stop at a ‘T’ intersection, his Toyota Yaris slamming into a power pole and trees across the intersection, the downed power lines starting a grass fire.  Carico was the most seriously injured, transported to Baptist, with Melissa Huffman and Arthur Brown not seriously hurt.  Joey Carico was charged with DWI in the wreck.