Robbins nurse dies in early morning crash

Emergency personnel responded to the accident just before 8 a.m. They found that Anna Rose Aklus, 22, of Robbins, had run off U.S. Highway 15-501 near N.C. Highway 73.

Aklus, the daughter of Sgt. Bob Aklus of the Moore County Sheriff's Office and an employee of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, was dead when first responders found her, according to members of the sheriff's office.

"She was a nurse, and I can't say enough good things about her father," said Chief Deputy Frank Rodriguez. "Our hearts are heavy. It's a sad, sad time for the sheriff's office, the sheriff family. We ask that everybody please keep them their thoughts and prayers."

A FirstHealth spokeswoman said, contrary to initial reports, that Aklus had not worked Sunday night or Monday morning and was not on the way home from the hospital when she crashed.

"She was a great young nurse who had lots of potential. The sudden death of such a young and vibrant person is a shock to us all. She will be greatly missed," said Karen Robeano, chief nursing officer for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.

Erin Outlaw and Katlin Garcia, nurses who worked with Aklus, laid flowers at the scene of the crash Monday afternoon.

"She was just an outstanding nurse, and, more than that, she was just a great person," Outlaw said.

"She's Anna Rose. She's Anna Rose. She's beautiful, everything about her," Garcia added.

U.S. 15-501 was closed for about 90 minutes Monday morning, and traffic was rerouted while the crash was cleared.

Sheriff Neil Godfrey said it was an emotional moment for his deputies when they realized that the victim was the daughter of one of their own.

Godfrey himself had to deliver the news to Aklus' father.

"He was unaware of it, and I took him into the lieutenant's office and sat him down and told him what happened and made sure we had other deputies escort him out to the scene and be with him while he was at the scene," Godfrey said.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is taking the lead in investigating what led to Aklus' crash.