Benson couple killed in wreck on NC 210; Smithfield man charged

The wreck happened at around 1:50 p.m. after a 2015 Chevrolet work truck crossed the center line and collided with a 2005 Dodge pickup truck near Lassiter Road, authorities said.

Robert Sherrill McGee, 81, and his wife, 79-year-old Melba McGee, who were in the Dodge pickup, died at the scene.

The driver of the Chevrolet pickup, David Michael Walker Jr., of Princeton, was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving left of center, troopers said.

"It was a big explosion, you can't believe it," said Nasser Ali, who heard the wreck while working at a nearby convenience store.

A 2013 Kia rear-ended the Chevrolet pickup after the initial wreck, investigators said.

"I said honey, you are going to have to get out of this car," said Rhonda Jones, who helped the driver of the third vehicle.

Walker, 19, and Hugo Flores Jimenez, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet truck, were taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Kia was taken to WakeMed with non-life-threatening injuries.

"We do not know who or what caused the truck to go left of center," said Lt. Jeff Gordon with the state Highway Patrol. "Just one split second of in-attention and drifting left of center, as you can see, results in a tragic consequence."

N.C. 210 between Reedy Creek and Berea Church roads was closed for about three hours.