A Hickory woman died after her car collided with three other vehicles on both sides of Interstate 40 Tuesday morning.  The accident closed all four lanes of traffic.  While the eastbound lanes reopened after an hour, the westbound lanes opened again at noon.

Motorists going west were detoured to McDonald Parkway at Exit 126 where travelers were directed to U.S. 70 West and then to U.S. 321 North and back to Interstate 40.

Angela Ruth Franklin, 28, of Hickory died at the scene near Exit 123 on I-40 westbound about 7:42 a.m., Trooper R.E. Sales, with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, said.

He said she entered the highway at exit 123 traveling east in a blue Dodge Neon when she struck a white Hyundai driven by Judy Hall Davis, 49, of Hudson.  Sales said it has not been determined how the first accident happened yet.

After the first collision, Sales said Franklin’s car went across the median where it went into oncoming traffic. The front of her Neon was hit a second time by a red 2001 Dodge pickup truck driven by Gavin Lamont Simmons, 21, of Claremont.  Sales said the impact caused the Dodge to spin around and it hit a 1997 Chevrolet Lumina.  Sales said the driver of the car, Lisa Marie Miller, 23, of Conover, attempted to swerve out of the way, but failed to avoid the accident.

“There’s four vehicles involved,” Sales said.  “There’s a lot of damage.”

Sales said Franklin died before paramedics arrived.  Miller was transported to Frye Regional Medical Center and someone drove Simmons to Catawba Valley Medical Center.  Sales said their injuries were non life-threatening.

Franklin’s vehicle was damaged on all sides.

The highway patrol is still investigating.