SALISBURY — The driver of a Geo Metro remains in critical condition after his vehicle was pinned underneath a dump truck on Wednesday while traveling on Statesville Boulevard.

He was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Aven Clodfelter, 64, of Salisbury, was headed eastbound when he crossed from the left lane into the right lane — in the path of the dump truck. The 1997 Mack dump truck was also headed eastbound and driven by Herbert Mash, 55, also of Salisbury, according to the State Highway Patrol. The truck was from Hammill Construction Co. Inc. in Gold Hill.

The back right corner of the car struck the left front bumper of the truck and both vehicles went off the road to the right, according to Sgt. David Morgan.

The two vehicles traveled over a private drive, the car overturned and the truck ran partially over the car. The car and truck came to rest on the shoulder of the road, not far from Barringer Road and West Rowan Middle School. Both vehicles were driving the 55 mph posted speed limit, officers said.

Clodfelter was pinned inside the vehicle until emergency personnel were able to free him using a hydraulic spreader to separate the space between the floorboard and the roof. Clodfelter was taken to a waiting ambulance at the scene and then to a landing zone that had been established at West Rowan Middle School. He was airlifted to the Winston-Salem hospital, where he remains.

The collision was reported at 2:17 p.m. Traffic was diverted onto Barringer Road and the road was reopened at 4:45 p.m. Morgan said once troopers are able to communicate with Clodfelter they will be able to determine if he had a medical condition or what circumstances lead to the crash. Trooper C.F. Rogers investigated the collision.