Troopers: Car Carrying S.C. Couple Sank Quickly

Rocky Mount, N.C. — The state Highway Patrol released new information Wednesday into the drowning death of a South Carolina couple traveling through Nash County.

Wayne Anthony Guay, 57, and his wife, Dianne Guay, 55, died on Dec. 7 when their vehicle ran off northbound Interstate 95 into a swamp. According to the findings of the Highway Patrol's crash reconstruction team, the Guays' vehicle traveled down a 10-foot embankment and entered the water, hitting a tree on the driver-side door.

Investigators said the collision shattered the driver-side window and created a hole in the car door, causing water to enter the vehicle quickly. Troopers estimated the vehicle was completely submerged within 90 seconds.

The vehicle was not noticed until Dec. 11, when a state Department of Transportation worker saw a piece of luggage floating in the water.

The Guay family has criticized authorities for not searching more thoroughly for the car after a passing motorist reported seeing a vehicle run off of I-95 into some nearby water. The Highway Patrol has said troopers followed the proper procedures in searching for the vehicle.

The vehicle was submerged in 12 feet of water and was surrounded by natural barriers that prevented either door from opening properly, authorities said.

The Highway Patrol also found that the accident was not related to any vehicle defects or collision with another vehicle. Troopers said they don't believe the accident was caused by Wayne Guay, who was driving the car, having a medical emergency.

Because the area where the crash occurred is known for frequent deer sightings, troopers said the accident might have occurred as Wayne Guay tried to avoid hitting a deer on the highway.

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Latest Comments

this is one of those things: you don't know who to blame. you can't blame the motorist who called the police, because he did what everyone should do; call for help. you can't blame the police, they did everything they are trained to do. i feel for the family of the victims, but people shouldn't take their anger out on the police all the time. they're the ones that are going to save you when you need help, don't hate. sometimes you have to let it go, and stop pointing the finger.

Miss.Understood
February 1, 2007 3:38 p.m.

I think the motorist should have been charged, he saw the accident. He may have been able to help the motorist. God bless the family.

cm258
January 31, 2007 9:40 p.m.

A) Car in the water, then B) How long until passing motorist sees car in the water, C) then how long for the passing motorist to pick up the phone and dial, D) how long for the COMM CTR to take the call, E) how long to enter the call into CAD, and dispatch the responders, then F) how long to send the other agency a DCI message about the collision, then to enter the info into CAD, and dispatch..... I doubt that everybody was even dispatched on this type call in less than 90 seconds.

Also, something everybody seems to forget, the car was sunk in 12 feet of murky water AT NIGHT. The car was found during a bright sunny day with the sun directly overhead, and now it comes out that the FLOATING LUGGAGE is what got the DOT workers attention, so maybe the car was harder to see than some imagine.

anonemoose
January 31, 2007 3:24 p.m.

As an EMS/Fire worker with 25 years experiance, I would like to explain something, that is how this could have happened. On any given day, we respond to numerous "vehicles in ditch or median" calls on the interstates. In most cases, these vehicles are gone when we get there. In many others, the actual accident location is miles away from where the caller states. It is simply not practical, not to mention dangerous to walk along the Interstate. We check as best we can, but if we do not see a vehicle or evidence of a wreck and the caller does not hang around, which is the case most of the time, we have to move on, we do not have the resources to walk up and down the Interstate. My condolences to the family of these folks, but this was not the fault of the Highway Patrol or the Fire/EMS folks, it was a tragic accident.

pnicholson5
January 31, 2007 1:27 p.m.

A newspaper story about this says that the caller gave a location that was 3 miles away from where the accident actually happened.

wyheel
January 31, 2007 12:48 p.m.