Early Thursday morning, on May 29, 2025, a flatbed tractor-trailer hauling lumber barreled through a red light and slammed into the Comfort Inn hotel near the Cleveland Mall in Shelby, North Carolina.

The crash occurred around 6:00 a.m. along U.S. Highway 74 at the intersection with East Marion Street. According to Shelby Police, the 18-wheeler struck two passenger vehicles before careening off the road and crashing into the front of the hotel.

Two individuals from the impacted vehicles were transported to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The truck driver was unharmed, and no hotel guests were injured. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the Comfort Inn while structural assessments were made.

The impact caused the truck’s lumber cargo to scatter, leaving crews working through the morning to remove debris and stabilize the area.

Motorists traveling near the Cleveland Mall on U.S. 74 should expect delays until the scene is fully cleared. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.