Wake Forest teacher killed in Capital Boulevard wreck

A 42-year-old Wake County school teacher, described by her principal as “wonderful,” died Tuesday in a crash that smashed her minivan between a dump truck and a tractor-trailer and closed northbound Capital Boulevard south of Wake Forest for several hours.

The State Highway Patrol said Michelle Simone Barlow of Wake Forest was driving a Toyota Sienna and was slowing or had stopped behind the 18-wheeler when a dump truck towing a Bobcat loader hit the Sienna from behind.

The tractor-trailer then went forward and hit a Honda, spokesman Lt. Jeff Gordon said.

Donald Wayne Caulder, 29, of Laurinburg, who was driving the dump truck, and Marvin Douglas Erb, 49, of Danville, Va., who was driving the tractor-trailer, both were taken to WakeMed Hospital, Gordon said.

Troopers believed neither had life-threatening injuries, Gordon said.

Accident investigators planned to confer with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office on whether Caulder should be charged, Gordon said.

The wreck was just south of the Burlington Mills Road intersection, according to Wake Forest officials. They said the northbound lanes were reopened shortly before 9:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, Wake Forest High School Principal Patti Hamler posted a message on the school system’s website about Barlow’s death.

“It is with great sadness that I share this information with you: Mrs. Michelle Barlow has died,” Hamler said in the message. “She taught English here at Wake Forest High School. She died from a tragic car accident yesterday. She was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed by her students and the staff here at Wake Forest High School. Our thoughts go out to her friends and her family.

“Your support at this time is greatly appreciated.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Wake Forest teacher killed in Capital Boulevard wreck."