NC troopers: Semi driver never braked before crash that killed 5 on I-95 in July
A tractor-trailer truck driver was going an estimated 70 mph when he plowed into the back of slowed traffic in a construction zone on Interstate 95 last month, according to the State Highway Patrol.
Charles Christian Haskell of Las Vegas hit four other vehicles in a crash that killed five people on July 24. Troopers say he did not brake before hitting the first SUV, which was going an estimated 20 mph, according to a crash report made public Wednesday.
The Highway Patrol report does not indicate why Haskell, 51, failed to slow down. It said he had been tested for drugs and alcohol but that the results were not available when the report was completed.
Haskell was charged with five counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle on the day of the crash. No additional charges have been announced.
The Highway Patrol and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the crash.
The crash took place in a work zone on northbound I-95 at about 1:30 p.m. The left lane was closed, and traffic had merged into the right lane and slowed.
Haskell’s truck full of orange juice first hit a Chevy Tahoe, pushing it off the right side of the road. The collision killed the Tahoe’s driver, William Carroll Tucker, 72, and his wife, Elizabeth Sharon Tucker, 66, of Hephzibah, Georgia.
Haskell then hit a Toyota RAV-4, causing it to flip onto its roof. The driver, Edward Carroll Davis, 68, of Greenville, was killed, as were both of his passengers: his wife, Martha Warren Davis, 69, and her sister, Linda Warren Whitehurst, 80, of Robersonville.
Haskell then hit two other tractor-trailers, pushing one off the right side of the road. His own truck was on fire when it came to a stop 332 feet from where it had hit the Tahoe. Haskell was able to get out of his truck before it burned completely.
All three truck drivers, including Haskell, had minor injuries.
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 11:11 AM.
