Fire hides identities of three dead in Wake wreck

Authorities will have to wait until at least Monday to be certain of the identities of the three people who died early Sunday in a fiery crash on Old Weaver Trail near the border between Wake and Granville counties.

According to the state Highway Patrol, the driver lost control of his car near Cash Road, ran off the road and slammed into a tree. It wasn't clear what caused the wreck, but authorities said the car was engulfed in flames before emergency personnel arrived. All three were pinned inside.

Stella Reason said that man behind the wheel was her nephew, Martin Kokus, of Rougemont.

"You don't expect to wake up at 7:30 in the morning and get a call that a family member has gone through this," she said. "It's just hard to deal with."

Reason and her husband went out to crash scene seeking answers, but there were few to be had. The bodies of those in the car were so badly burned that troopers could not even say for sure what sex they were. Authorities will wait for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to make a definitive identification. 

Reason said Kokus was a graduate of Person High School who was involved in his church and had a passion for music.

"He was very talented, and he loved his family, and he was an all-around good kid," she said. "It's just really heart-breaking for the whole family."