It happened at the intersection of highways 96 and 42 just after 6 p.m.
According to the Highway Patrol, the driver of an Infiniti failed to stop for a flashing stop sign, hitting a pick-up truck in an eastbond lane of N.C. 42. Two other vehicles, a pick-up truck and an SUV, were struck as a result.
Two people were airlifted to University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. The car's driver, who faces a stop sign violation, was one of nine people taken by ground to Johnston Memorial Hospital.
In the last six months, 28 people died on Johnston County roads -- almost the average number killed in a year. Twelve people died in traffic accidents last month alone.
One possible reason is the county is outgrowing its roads. The population climbed about 12 percent, to 141,000, from 2000 to 2003. The number of traffic accidents during that time jumped 21 percent.
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