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.