EDEN, N.C. — A tragic vehicle accident claimed four lives Thursday afternoon while leaving two others injured. Authorities have charged the driver involved in the crash, which occurred around 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Church Street, Carroll Street, and Park Road in Eden.
According to the Eden Police Department, Michael Ray Vernon, 66, was driving a 2016 Hino dump truck when he reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign on Carroll Street. After disregarding the stop sign, he struck six pedestrians who were working on powerline maintenance for Carolina Power and Signalization.
The collision didn’t end there. Following the initial impact, Vernon’s dump truck continued on, colliding with an occupied bucket truck and eventually veering off the road into a ditch.
First responders quickly arrived at the scene, where emergency personnel treated multiple victims. Four of the pedestrians died at the scene, while two others were airlifted to a hospital for serious, life-threatening injuries. The individual in the bucket truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to the hospital.
Authorities have identified the deceased as Douglas Garland Sides, 71, from Summerfield; Madison Carter, 32, from Sandy Ridge; William Evans, 35, from Randleman; and Matthew Lockwood, 30, from Winston-Salem. The two injured pedestrians include a 24-year-old man from Reidsville who remains in critical condition, and a 34-year-old Eden man who is in stable condition.
Vernon has been charged with failing to stop at a stop sign and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Authorities do not believe impairment was a contributing factor in the crash.
Eyewitness Zykea Lowe described the incident, stating that she saw the truck run the stop sign before colliding with the group of workers. “I was sitting at a stop sign getting ready to turn, and as I was about to turn, the dump truck hit a group of men working on the powerlines,” she recounted.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with multiple agencies involved in examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. Duke Energy expressed its condolences in a statement, emphasizing the importance of safety for employees and contractors while stating it is cooperating with law enforcement.
As the community mourns, the tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers workers face on the job and the importance of adhering to traffic regulations to prevent such heart-wrenching accidents.