Beltline collision kills 3, injures 3

Raleigh, N.C. — Three people died and three more were hurt in a weekend crash that closed the inner loop of Interstate 440 for a time, police said.

Police said van driver Francisco Javier Martinez, 30, of 1925 Village Squire Circle in Knightdale, was driving the wrong way on the Inner Beltline shortly after 4:30 a.m. Sunday and collided head-on with an eastbound Lexus sedan near the on-ramp from Capital Boulevard.

The driver of the Lexus, Guillermo Zintzun Jimenez, 26, of 7107 Eversfield Drive in Raleigh, and two occupants of his car, Dagoberto Zintzun Jimenez, 21, of 3104-C Holston Lane in Raleigh, and Santiago Pascual Tellez, 14, of 2413 Blossom Court in Knightdale, were killed in the wreck.

Two other occupants of the Lexus, Jose Canuto Canuto, 24, and Louis Alberto Canuto, 21, both of 3216-C Calumet Drive in Raleigh, were injured in the wreck. Jose Canuto was listed in good condition Monday morning at WakeMed. Louis Canuto was treated at the hospital and released Sunday.

Martinez also was injured in the wreck. He was listed in good condition Monday morning at WakeMed.

He was charged with three counts of felony death by motor vehicle, two counts of felony serious injury by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, driving the wrong direction and no operator's license.

The Inner Beltline was closed for more than three hours between Wake Forest Road and Capital Boulevard after the wreck.

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Latest Comments

How many more are we going to read about. Doesn't make any sense to me. I can't count how many stories that we have read about of late. I agree with Saywhat.

It is time that we tell us Legislature Rep's in your county what you think!!!!!! I have already.

Hokie 94
May 26, 2008 5:55 p.m.

Once again we have an intoxicated Hispanic causing a DWI related accident with people getting killed and injured.

If the Hispanics were here illegally, they should be immediately deported.

DontLikeTheSocialistObama
May 26, 2008 5:29 p.m.

why is he not charged with murder???

jnrobrien
May 26, 2008 3:56 p.m.

why was a 14 yr old out partying with those above the age of 21 ?

WilloWSnapper
May 26, 2008 2:07 p.m.

I am not going to be PC here, but when I first heard about this on Sunday morning, I wondered if it was a drunken driving accident and if the driver was Hispanic. The reason why I thought this is because of the large number of DWI accidents lately involving illegal Hispanic immigrants. When you see something happen over and over again in the news, it is the first thought that comes to your mind when you here of an accident like this.

Drunken driving is a huge problem, regardless. However, instead of the PC cops coming out saying it is a cultural difference, etc., maybe we should be trying to tackle the root of the problem. I was actually just reading an article the other day how one group was saying how Hispanics are unfairly targeted for DWIs. Well, how do you target them when they cause an accident and take lives? Instead of trying to come up with excuses for their actions, lets be proactive and try to tackle the problem. Too many innocent lives have been taken.