Two men were injured in a wreck just after 11 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 70.
Emergency officials say a red Chevrolet Blazer SUV driving west toward Statesville on U.S. 70 collided with a black Dodge Ram pickup pulling out from Parks Road.
The driver of the SUV was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with critical injuries, said Cleveland Fire Chief Kenny Payne. His vehicle caught fire after the collision, and firefighters extinguished it once they got to the scene.
The pickup driver was initially trapped inside the vehicle, but firefighters freed him. He was taken by ambulance to Rowan Regional Medical Center.
At press time, investigators with the N.C. Highway Patrol said they did not yet know how the wreck happened or what may have contributed to it. They did not release the names of the men involved.