BURKE COUNTY, N.C.—A devastating head-on collision on the evening of June 8 left a child dead and two drivers hospitalized in critical condition.
The collision happened at around 6:30 p.m. on U.S. 70 near Sundown Road.
Authorities reported that a 2017 Ford F-150 truck traveling east crossed the centerline and struck a 2022 Kia Forte head-on. The force of the collision pushed the Kia into a guardrail before overturning.
Emergency responders transported both drivers—43-year-old Benjamin Willis, who was behind the wheel of the Ford, and a 30-year-old man driving the Kia—to area hospitals with critical injuries. Tragically, the Kia’s passenger, an eight-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators suspect impairment played a role in the crash, though official charges against Willis remain pending.
An investigation into this fatal accident is being conducted by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.