An early-morning head-on crash in Harnett County turned a quiet stretch of N.C. Highway 87 into a mass-casualty scene on Saturday, leaving three people dead and two others injured, according to authorities. Troopers arrived just before 4 a.m. to the 4600 block of the highway near Sanford and found multiple vehicles blocking the road. Rescue crews had to cut three people out of the mangled wreckage before the scene could be cleared. Investigators are still working to pin down what led to the violent collision.
Officials' Account Of The Head-On Collision
Investigators told ABC11 that a pickup heading north on N.C. 87 crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into a Toyota Camry. The pickup's driver died at the scene. All three people in the Camry were trapped and had to be extricated by first responders.
According to ABC11, the three Camry occupants were stationed at Fort Bragg. Two of them were later pronounced dead, and the third was rushed to Womack Army Hospital in critical condition.
Highway Shut Down As Crews Worked The Scene
N.C. Highway 87 was shut down in both directions between Broadway Road and Olivia Road while troopers and emergency crews worked the crash site and cleared the debris, WRAL reports. Crews remained on scene from around 4 a.m., and the station reports that the stretch of highway reopened to traffic at about 6:53 a.m.
Victims And Hospital Update
Per ABC11, two people were pronounced dead at the scene and three others were taken to Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, where one of those patients later died. Authorities told the station that two of the hospitalized victims were in critical condition. According to ABC11, reporters are still working to learn more about those involved and the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.
Troopers Probe Deadly Pre-Dawn Wreck
State troopers are now piecing together how the head-on impact unfolded, and local reporters say they are waiting for more detailed information from law enforcement, WRAL notes. As in other serious wrecks, investigators are expected to scrutinize vehicle damage, road conditions and any witness accounts as they work the case.
The crash remains an active and developing investigation, and officials have asked anyone who may have seen the collision or the vehicles beforehand to contact troopers with any information.
