Speeding charge filed in fatal Cary collision

Martikia Adams, 22, of Raleigh, was trying to make a left turn off West Chatham Street onto Cary Parkway on Feb. 12 when her Saturn crossed into the path of a Dodge Avenger, police said.

Adams and her boyfriend, Brian Cobb, 26, of Cary, died of the injuries they suffered in the collision.

The driver of the Avenger, Meghan Sladek, 22, of Apex, was charged with speeding, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 45 days in jail.

The initial accident report stated that Sladek was traveling at 52 mph at the time of the collision. The posted speed limit on that section of Cary Parkway is 45 mph, the report states.

Cary police said their reconstruction of the collision showed that she was actually driving at up to 67 mph before the wreck.

“Based on our investigation, if Miss Sladek had been traveling according to the speed limit, this collision likely would have never happened,” Deputy Police Chief Barry Nickalson said in a statement. “We hope this tragedy helps drivers understand the importance of following posted speed signs."

Cary traffic engineers have said that the intersection doesn't meet the criteria used by the state Department of Transportation for a traffic light, saying there haven't been enough collisions there.