Charlotte officer recently back from maternity leave killed in crash on Interstate 85

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A police officer and mother of three was killed on Interstate 85 while on duty Wednesday morning.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed officer Mia Goodwin died in a crash involving four police cars and two tractor trailers. She had just recently returned from maternity leave.

According to local ABC affiliate WSOC, the crash happened on Interstate 85 around 3:40 a.m. but it was the second crash in several hours at the same spot.

On Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m. a tractor-trailer crashed and spilled sand all across southbound lanes of I-85.

First responders stayed on scene throughout the night cleaning up the crash. Officer Goodwin was part of a crew that came in Wednesday morning to relieve the initial crew that worked the crash site.

At around 3:40 a.m., two other tractor-trailers crashed while heading southbound on I-85. They then careened into the first responders still working to clean up and secure the original crash site.

Goodwin died at the scene of that second crash. Three other officers were taken to the hospital, treated for injuries and released.

"We are asking for your prayers--not just for the Goodwin family, but for all the CMPD family and for our great city," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings said during a press conference Wednesday morning.