In Dunn, North Carolina on October 25, a tragic three-vehicle accident took the lives of five North Carolina residents. The Associated Press reports that three men and two women were driving in a Honda Accord when the driver of the car ran a stop sign and were run over by a gasoline-filled tanker truck in the intersection. All five passengers, who resided in the Raleigh area, were killed.
The crash took place on Friday night around 11 p.m. at the intersection of North Carolina Highway 27 and Old Fairgrounds Road, about 20 miles south of Raleigh. Trooper Gregg Steffens told reporters that after the truck hit the sedan, both vehicles ran into the oncoming lane, where a Oldsmobile station wagon hit the wreckage. The tanker did not explore and it’s tank was not damaged in the crash causing any leak of gasoline.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the driver of the Honda Accord was 22-year-old Esteban Isidro of Raleigh. The others killed were 23-year-old Jorge Luis Gallardo of Raleigh, 25-year-old Germain Chavez of Angier, 17-year-old Ashley Martinez, and 15-year-old Norma Marie Martinez. The two women were sisters who lived in Angier, and one of the two women was pregnant.
The North Carolina News & Observer reported that all five victims died at the scene.
“The tanker truck literally crushed the vehicle,” Steffens said. “It was unrecognizable as a vehicle. It was a non-survivable collision.”
The driver of the station wagon, Kimberly Jones, 18, of Benson, was treated for a broken ankle and broken collar bone at Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn and released Saturday morning. The driver of the tanker truck, Ronnie Vanatta Jr., 41, of Pikeville, was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the crash.
The police are still investigating whether or not alcohol was a factor in the crash, as the driver of the Honda did not appear to try to stop at the intersection.
About the Editors: Shapiro & Appleton& Duffan personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.