Three wrecks in three minutes: One driver flees saying he is undocumented
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 28, 2017 10:42 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The 1994 Honda Accord driven by Steven Kirkman, 22, of Pikeville, sits in the middle of Wayne Memorial Drive near the intersection of Stoney Creek Church Road Monday night after Kirkman ran off of the road and overcorrected, crossing the median and hitting a 2003 Ford Taurus head-on.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to three wrecks that took place within three minutes of each other Monday night and is searching for a driver involved in one of them who fled the scene.
Trooper C.S. Grainger said an unknown Hispanic man caused a wreck on Genoa Road at Potts Road at 6:41 p.m. when he pulled into the path of an oncoming car with three people inside.
Grainger said the car swerved to try and miss the man, but collided with him anyway, running off the road after it was hit.
A witness to the wreck, Marcos Neira Nieda, told the highway patrol the Hispanic man told him he was undocumented and leaving the scene, and was "extremely drunk," Grainger said.
Nieda lives on the corner of the intersection where the wreck happened and stepped outside to see what was going on after the crash, Grainger said.
The three people inside the car, a white Kia, were all taken to the hospital, Grainger said. They are identified as 55-year-old Juana Cura Asencio, who was driving, 23-year-old Guadalupe Aide Ruiz and 16-year-old Ivan Lopez Deleon.
Grainger said all three are from Kinston.
Asencio reportedly lost consciousness and sustained non-life threatening injuries, Grainger said, but remains in the hospital with head injuries.
Grainger said Ruiz and Deleon had minor injuries, and Ruiz was not admitted to the hospital.
The unknown Hispanic man that fled the scene was driving a white Chevrolet S-10 pickup, was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, around 30 to 40 years old and was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, Grainger said.
Trooper Justin Arnette said two other wrecks, one at 6:38 p.m. and one at 6:41 p.m., sent several people to the hospital.
Arnette said he responded to the second wreck at 6:41 p.m. on Wayne Memorial Drive near Stoney Creek Church Road first because it sounded more serious.
In that wreck, 22-year-old Steven Kirkman, of Pikeville, was driving a 1994 Honda Accord, entered a curve too fast, ran off the road to the right, overcorrected, crossed the center line and struck an oncoming car head-on.
The 2003 Ford station wagon Kirkman struck was driven by 65-year-old Sylvia Lewis, of Goldsboro.
Kirkman's passenger, 19-year-old Goliath Wendell, of Pikeville, was ejected from the car, Arnette said.
Both Wendell and Lewis sustained minor injuries but are expected to be fine, Arnette said.
Kirkman is charged with reckless driving, Arnette said.
The other wreck at 6:38 p.m. took place at U.S. 13 and True Vine Road and remains under investigation, Arnette said.
Donald Ebron, 67, of Pikeville, was driving north on U.S. 13 and turned in front of 47-year-old Robert Gibson, of Goldsboro, Arnette said.
Ebron claimed it was dark and Gibson did not have his headlights on, but Gibson said it was not dark and he had his headlights on, Arnette said.
Gibson struck Ebron in the driver's side of his car after Ebron turned in front of him, Arnette said.
Arnette said Gibson was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital and treated and released.
No charges have been filed in that wreck at this time.