A Charlotte family of four was traveling north on I-85 early Saturday when their SUV slammed into a parked fire truck near the Durham County line, killing the parents and their 6-year-old daughter and leaving their 10-year-old son fighting for his life in a Duke University Hospital bed.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 4 a.m. in Granville County, according to wral.com. Troopers said a northbound Toyota Highlander failed to slow down and struck a Providence Fire Department truck that was blocking the scene of an earlier crash. The impact pushed the fire truck and the Highlander into a nearby pickup truck, per the same report.
The victims were identified as 31-year-old Jason Nye, 32-year-old Christina Nye and their 6-year-old daughter, all of whom were found dead at the scene, according to WSOC-TV. The couple’s 10-year-old son lost his mother, father and little sister in the wreck, the station reported, and he was seriously hurt and hospitalized afterward.
Conflicting Reports on the Boy's Condition
Accounts of the surviving child’s injuries have varied. WRAL reported that the boy was flown to Duke University Hospital with serious injuries, while ABC11 described him as airlifted to Duke in critical condition. Neither outlet has provided an update on his current status, and no further details about his recovery were available.
ABC11’s report also noted that the fire engine, identified as Providence Fire Department Engine 61, had its emergency lights activated and was stopped in the roadway alongside the pickup truck while blocking the earlier crash scene. Both the fire truck and the pickup were unoccupied when the Highlander struck them, the outlet reported.
Highway Closed for Hours as Investigation Continues
The collision shut down northbound I-85 near Exit 191 for more than six hours, according to the same wral.com report. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and troopers have not said what led the Highlander to strike the stationary vehicles.
Crashes involving fire trucks stopped on North Carolina interstates have surfaced elsewhere in recent months. Earlier this month, a fire truck was significantly damaged after being struck while firefighters worked a separate wreck on I-85 in Rowan County, according to WBTV.
No information has been released about citations, charges or any enforcement action tied to Saturday’s crash. Investigators have not disclosed what factors, if any, contributed to the Highlander failing to slow down before striking the parked fire truck.
