A 51-year-old trucker from Las Vegas was arrested and charged with five counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle following a collision on Interstate 95 in North Carolina Wednesday, July 24, involving three tractor-trailers and two SUVs.
A state trooper said Charles Haskell was northbound on I-95 at about 1:30 p.m. with a load of orange juice when he failed to reduce his speed for traffic that had slowed for a lane closure. Reports of the collision say Haskell's tractor-trailer first struck a 2013 Chevy Tahoe then a 2017 Rav-4 and two other tract-trailer before coming to a rest and bursting into flames.
The occupants in the Chevy Tahoe were identified as 72-year-old William Tucker and 66-year-old Elizabeth Tucker. The occupants in the Toyota Rav-4 ere 68-year-old Edward Davis, 69-year-old Martha Davis and 80-year-old Linda Whitehurst. All five died in the collision.
The crash occurred near mile marker 114.5 in Wilson County, east of Raleigh. Northbound I-95 was closed until later that evening.
Haskell and the drivers of the other two tractor-trailers were treated for minor injuries at the Wilson Medical Center.
Police continue their investigation.
