Wendell woman killed in US64 crash in Nash County

NASH COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A fiery crash left one dead and closed a major highway in Eastern North Carolina Sunday night.

According to Trooper Currie with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, one person was killed when a driver went in the wrong direction on US 64 near Spring Hope late Sunday night.

Currie said the accident happened when the driver of a dark blue Ford Fiesta drove westbound in the eastbound lanes, crashing into a white Honda Crosstour. The Crosstour came to rest in the eastbound lanes and the Fiesta on the eastbound side in the median where it caught fire.

Currie said that 70-year-old Lacine Jones of Wendell was driving the Fiesta and died at the scene. Currie said the driver and a passenger of the Honda were both transported to Wake Medical Center in Raleigh with serious injuries.

According to a Spring Hope police officer who arrived first on the scene, the Fiesta was already fully engulfed in flames when he arrived.

Traffic was initially closed in both directions on US 64 while firefighters put out the car that was on fire. The eastbound lanes re-opened around 11:45 pm, According to Currie westbound lanes remained closed after several smaller fender benders in the area of the wreck blocked traffic.

The westbound lanes remained closed until around 1:30 am Monday morning.

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