Governor links I-95 accident to wet weather

Gov. Pat McCrory on Friday said the death of a woman on Interstate 95 South could be attributed to recent rains.

Posted 7:44 p.m. Oct 1, 2015 — Updated 5:26 p.m. Oct 2, 2015

GODWIN, N.C. — Gov. Pat McCrory on Friday said the death of a woman on Interstate 95 South on Thursday could be attributed to recent rains.

According to State Highway Patrol troopers, Saeideeh Sharifian, 72, of 307 Kirkwood Drive in Fayetteville, was a passenger in a car traveling on the highway when a tree, weakened by saturated ground, fell onto that vehicle. Sharifian was killed, and the driver of the car was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

The tree hit a second car, smashing the windshield of Steve Littleton, of Goldsboro. Littleton said that conditions along I-95 were rainy and windy when the tree fell across the road.

Littleton said that, after the accident, he got out of his vehicle to help the occupants of the other car. He, along with a nurse who was in a car behind the crash, performed CPR on Sharifian.

"One guy, he was driving the vehicle. He was the nephew of the passenger, and he was screaming. I went to go check on her. She was bleeding and was unconscious," said Littleton.

Southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for more than two hours Thursday afternoon near exit 65 in Godwin after the accident.

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