Single-vehicle wreck claims three lives

Published 12:42 pm Tuesday, December 29, 2009

By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer

Three people were killed in a single-car wreck on Cherry Run Road in Beaufort County on Monday morning.
Two surviving victims were airlifted from the scene by two EastCare helicopters. They were flown to Pitt County Memorial Hospital.
The victims’ conditions couldn’t be determined immediately, related Trooper Kevin Respass with the N.C. Highway Patrol on Monday afternoon.
Among the deceased was Angela Carter, 21, of the Washington area, said 1st Sgt. Kenneth Pitts with the Highway Patrol. Information regarding other occupants of the vehicle wasn’t available as of Monday evening.
The accident occurred in an “S” curve near a bridge that crosses what was identified as Cherry Run Creek, Respass said.
One of the victims was recovered from the creek, Pitts said.
The car involved was a west-bound 2009 Ford Mustang, according to Respass.
The black, two-door sports car apparently veered off the road about 200 to 300 feet before the bridge and took out some trees before plunging into the creek, Respass said.
The car was traveling at an estimated 90 mph before it reached the water, Respass said.
Firefighters could be seen removing two victims from the car while it was submerged in the water.
“They were alert when they left the scene,” Respass said of the two victims.
Only a small portion of the car’s roof was visible above the rippling surface of the creek.
The Beaufort County-based Sidney Dive Team was on hand to handle the recovery operation.
Also on hand were emergency personnel with the Clark’s Neck Volunteer Fire Department, Old Ford Volunteer Fire Department, Washington-Fire-Rescue-EMS-Inspections Department, the Highway Patrol and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Workers with the N.C. Department of Transportation came to cut down a tree that was damaged by the car’s impact.
By early afternoon, two towing services had arrived — Billy Ray’s Towing &Recovery and Woolard’s Automotive.
Dive-team members worked to secure tow lines from the car to the Billy Ray’s truck, which lifted the car out of the water and onto the bridge.
About a half-mile of the two-lane road was blocked to everything but local traffic as the rescue-and-recovery operations got under way. That section of road, including the bridge, remained closed during those operations.
Respass indicated that the curve and bridge have been the site of multiple accidents.
“We have had several bad wrecks in this area,” he said.
Nearby resident Laura Caraway lives on the corner of Perkins Road. Like other residents standing alongside, she said the curve is considered dangerous.
“I’ve seen cars in the water,” she said. “I’ve seen cars up in the trees. … It’s a really bad curve.”
Caraway said she has lived at her current location for 14 years.
Another resident, H.B. Midyette, said he helped pull a child out of the creek about five years ago.
“There have been a lot of wrecks on this road right here,” he said.