CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — A woman who, according to troopers, crashed her car at more than 100 mph on Interstate 40 Tuesday morning survived the crash but is now facing multiple charges.
Autumn Plappert, 25, of Raleigh, was traveling eastbound on I-40 around 3:15 a.m. at “an extremely high rate of speed” when she lost control, ran off the road into the median, struck the guardrail, “hopped the guardrail,” rolled over multiple times and then came to a rest in the middle of I-40 west at the Harrison Avenue exit, a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper told CBS 17.
The crash was so violent that the engine in Plappert’s Volkswagen Passat was detached from the vehicle and landed in the left lane on I-40 west, officials said. Two vehicles slammed into the engine and were totaled, but no one was injured.
When law enforcement and first responders arrived on scene, nobody was found in or around the vehicle. The Passat was abandoned in the middle of I-40 west, officials said.
“Cary police came to assist and ended up finding [Plappert] walking on Harrison Avenue covered in blood. It’s a miracle she’s alive. A miracle,” the trooper said. “She was not wearing a seat belt during the collision. It’s crazy.”
Plappert was tied back to the crash after her wallet and other personal belongings were found in the vehicle.
The 25-year-old woman is facing charges of driving while intoxicated, failure to wear a seat belt, and driving on a suspended license.
Plappert was transported to WakeMed Cary after she was located on Harrison Avenue. Officials said she had no broken bones. Her injuries were described as “moderate” and included “lacerations and cuts all over her body,” the trooper said.
No one else was injured in the crash or the subsequent crashes involving debris from Plappert’s car.
The westbound lanes of I-40 were closed for approximately 90 minutes.
Plappert remains in the hospital and has not been booked yet on her charges.
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