Five-car wreck sends one to hospital
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on September 29, 2016 9:57 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
A wreck involving five cars backs up traffic on Wayne Memorial Drive near New Hope Road on late Wednesday afternoon.
A five-car wreck on Wayne Memorial Drive near New Hope Road Wednesday around 4:50 p.m. sent one person to the hospital and slowed traffic for more than an hour and a half.
The wreck happened when a red Ford Explorer, driven by Paradorn White, 48, of Rachel Drive, rear-ended a black Kia Sorento driven by Catherine Lashond Venable, 49, of Appleview Drive, North Carolina State Highway patrolman R.T. Edwards said.
He said the collision triggered a chain reaction that sent the Kia forward into a Toyota Tacoma, which caused the Tacoma to lurch forward and hit a black Infiniti SUV, which made the Infiniti SUV scoot forward into a white car.
Both the driver of the Tacoma -- Madison Elizabeth Batts, 18, of West Dunn Street, Pinetops -- and the driver of the Infiniti -- Sandra Edith McClenny, 54, of Mergin Drive -- said the driver of the unidentified white car drove away before authorities arrived on scene because the car did not sustain significant damage.
Venable was taken to the hospital by Wayne County EMS for treatment of her injuries.
Traffic in both directions was reduced to one lane for roughly 45 minutes. The scene was cleared around 6:30 p.m.
Edwards said White would be charged with failure to reduce speed.
The Bobby Reavis company towed the Ford Explorer and Kia Sorento away from the scene.
Belfast Fire Department initially responded to the scene before the highway patrol arrived.