Five injured in crash on U.S. 70
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on April 15, 2009 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/GREG SOUSA
Goldsboro firefighter Clay Gardner carries a young boy to safety after he was rescued from a car involved in an accident on U.S. Highway 70 East on Tuesday. El-Roy volunteers assisted city firefighters at the scene. Five people were injured and law officers said charges were pending in the two-vehicle crash near the highway\'s intersection with Ash Street Extension.
Full Size
News-Argus/GREG SOUSA
Goldsboro firefighter Clay Gardner carries a young boy to safety after he was rescued from a car involved in an accident on U.S. Highway 70 East on Tuesday. El-Roy volunteers assisted city firefighters at the scene. Five people were injured and law officers said charges were pending in the two-vehicle crash near the highway\'s intersection with Ash Street Extension.
A traffic accident on U.S. 70 injured five people, some who suffered apparent "disabling or debilitating" injury, according to an accident report.
The accident was on U.S. 70 near Ash Street Extension and Country View Drive, according to the report.
According to the narrative of officer C. Irby, witnesses said a Chevrolet sedan driven by Ruthie Pittman of Belfast Avenue quickly changed lanes and started sliding. Ms. Pittman attempted to change lanes in front of another car not involved in the accident, then quickly tried to move back into the inside lane.
When Ms. Pittman attempted to move back to the inside lane, her vehicle reportedly started sliding into the grassy median separating the two opposite lanes of traffic in U.S. 70, the report said.
Ms. Pittman's Chevrolet traveled all the way through the median before ending up sideways in the middle of U.S. 70's westbound lane.
A Buick sedan driven by Salvador Abrego of Planter's Walk Road, Snow Hill, was headed westbound on U.S. 70 at the time. Abrego's Buick struck Ms. Pittman's sedan after it traveled into his lane of travel. The impact pushed the Chevrolet off the side of the road and left Abrego's vehicle at a slant in U.S. 70's westbound lane, according to the report.
Ms. Pittman's vehicle came to rest when it hit a road sign.
Goldsboro B-Shift Assistant Fire Chief Eric Lancaster was at the scene, and said firefighters were originally prepared for two accidents from called-in reports.
The emergency responders found only one accident, however.
Firefighters from Goldsboro and the El-Roy Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, using an extrication tool to cut into Ms. Pittman's sedan and free her and her passengers, Lancaster said.
According to the report, Tina Marie Lee Gray, 20, and Ms. Pittman suffered apparent "disabling" injury, while their passengers, Amari Lathan, 11, reportedly suffered visible injury.
Another of Ms. Pittman's passengers, Steven Jones, 11, sustained possible injury, according to the report.
Ms. Gray and Ms. Pittman were reportedly transfered to another medical facility.
Abrego was listed as suffering "disabling" injury on the report, but the assistant fire chief said he was free of the vehicle and walking when rescue workers arrived.
Abrego was treated and released according to hospital officials.
Charges are listed as "pending" in the accident, but the report does not identify who might be charged.