Durham woman killed in I-40 head-on collision in Raleigh

An 83-year-old woman from Durham died Sunday afternoon when police say she was hit head-on while traveling westbound on Interstate 40.

Preliminary information from a police officer at the scene indicates that at around 4:45 p.m., a man traveling eastbound on I-40, fell asleep at the wheel, crossed over all lanes of I-40 East and then over the median into the westbound lanes where he hit a driver head-on.

His vehicle overturned in the middle of the highway, and the vehicle he hit was pushed off the roadway and into a tree.

The driver of that vehicle, Catherine Obie, died.

Brandon Lewis Jefferson, 22, was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.

At least five other vehicles were involved in the wreck. It was unclear if there were any other injuries or fatalities.

Westbound Interstate 40 between Lake Wheeler Road and Gorman Street was completely closed for nearly five hours following the wreck. It wasn't until shortly before 11 p.m. that the entire roadway reopened.