16-year-old killed in fiery crash
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on June 15, 2005 1:45 PM
A 16-year-old girl was killed Tuesday afternoon in a fiery crash at the intersection of Tommy's Road and Patetown Road.
Summer Brooke Worrell of Hare Road died instantly when her car struck a tractor-trailer about 3 p.m., officials said.
Worrell was a rising junior at Eastern Wayne High School.
State Highway Patrol officials said the accident remains under investigation.
The truck, driven by Willie Wayne Veale of Windsor, was traveling north on Patetown Road, and the Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Ms. Worrell was traveling west on Tommy's Road when the accident happened.
Veale drives for David R. Whitley Industries of Lewiston.
Witnesses gave conflicting reports of what happened. Some said the truck had the right of way at the stoplight. Others said the car had the green light.
"I was behind the truck," said Toni Stevenson, one of the witnesses. "When we approached it, the light had changed to green. That truck veered to the left, and that's when I spotted the collision."
A passenger in her car also said he saw the truck swerve.
"We were coming through, about 30 mph behind the truck," Cory Quinn said. "The light was still green."
Another witness, who asked that he not be identified, said the sight of the accident was startling.
"The truck caught fire before it ever stopped," he said. "The car looked like it disappeared into the truck."
Firefighters from the Patetown and Belfast volunteer fire departments responded to the emergency call. Both vehicles caught fire and were destroyed, officials said.
It took emergency workers about six hours to clear the intersection.