BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A woman is dead and a 2-year-old is seriously hurt after a crash on Interstate 40 in Burke County early Christmas morning, NC Highway Patrol said.
Troopers were called to I-40 east near mile marker 108 in Burke County at about 1 a.m. Christmas Day. According to troopers, Monica Torres-Garcia, 39, of Bessemer City was driving east in a Ford pickup truck. Then the people in the truck began to argue and Torres-Garcia started driving recklessly, troopers said.
The truck sideswiped a Chevrolet SUV driving in the same direction, and both the truck and the SUV hit the guard rail several times, troopers said. Torres-Garcia and a 2-year-old girl in the SUV were thrown out of the vehicle during the crash.
According to Highway Patrol, Torres-Garcia was rushed to the hospital, where she later died. The passenger in the truck with her was not taken to the hospital.
The driver of the SUV, an adult, and the four children in the car with her were taken to the hospital. The 2-year-old girl had serious injuries, but the other passengers are expected to be okay. The toddler was not properly strapped into a car seat, troopers said.
Troopers suspect alcohol may have contributed to the crash.
The eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed in that area for several hours during the investigation.
Cox Media Group
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