A man died Thursday after a four-vehicle pileup that shut down U.S. 421 north of Lillington, according to state troopers. The chain-reaction crash sprawled across the highway, mangling at least one pickup truck and sending multiple people to area hospitals while traffic stacked up in both directions.
Scene And Response
Trooper J.N. Collinsworth with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol's Troop B District VIII was among those who responded, The Daily Record reported. Boone Trail Emergency Services and Harnett County EMS rushed to the scene and took the injured to local hospitals and trauma centers, according to the outlet. With debris and damaged vehicles scattered across the roadway, emergency crews shut down both northbound and southbound lanes while investigators documented the wreck.
Vehicles And Victims
The crash involved four vehicles, including a 2011 Hyundai that reportedly slammed into the rear of a Toyota pickup. The Toyota was described as destroyed at the scene. Its driver died while being transported to a hospital, and other patients were taken to trauma centers with injuries. Photo captions from the scene indicated a 2006 Volkswagen may have been at fault, and the article identified one driver as Bryson Dement. Authorities have not yet released the name of the victim who died.
A Dangerous Stretch Of Highway
U.S. 421 has seen more than its share of serious and fatal collisions in Harnett County and nearby communities, a troubling pattern local outlets have tracked for years. Reporting by WRAL highlights how frequently emergency crews are dispatched to major crashes along this corridor. The Daily Record credited photographer Thomas Honeycutt for images from Thursday's wreck.
State troopers are still investigating the cause of the crash, and the Highway Patrol has not yet released information on any potential charges or citations. Hoodline will update this story if the agency issues a formal statement or releases additional details.
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