Raleigh woman killed in holiday crash a day after her 22nd birthday

A woman who had just celebrated her 22nd birthday died on Thanksgiving Day when the car she was driving turned into the path of an oncoming sport utility vehicle on Lynn Road.

Juana Maria Cardonaalvare of Open Sight Court in Raleigh was turning left from Battleford Drive onto Lynn Road just after 6:45 p.m. when she pulled in front of the Toyota SUV, which slammed into the driver’s side of her car at an estimated 50 mph, according to an accident report police released Friday morning.

Cardonaalvare, who had celebrated her birthday the day before the accident, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report. A passenger in the Honda, Hiroshi Arakawa, 25, of East Six Forks Road, suffered serious injuries.

The driver of the Toyota, Nicholas Alberto Riverarubio, 18, of Garner, was not injured. Two passengers in his SUV – Daniel Larosa, 10, of Raleigh and Thomas Gabriel Rivera, 14, of Garner – had minor injuries, according to the accident report.

Police do not think alcohol, drugs or speeding were factors in the crash. Police concluded that Cardonaalvare’s car “failed to see its way clear” before entering the intersection, and no charges were filed.

This story was originally published November 25, 2016 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Raleigh woman killed in holiday crash a day after her 22nd birthday."