Labor Day traffic in Southern Pines came to a halt on Monday morning after a Honda Accord slammed into a tree on U.S. 15-501 near Zaxby’s restaurant. The wreck left two children in critical condition and their grandmother injured, according to Southern Pines Fire Chief Mike Cameron.
Around 8:15 a.m. on September 5, first responders received a call alerting them to a single-vehicle wreck. Upon arrival, it was discovered the vehicle had struck a tree, and all occupants of the vehicle were in need of urgent medical attention. Additional ambulances were dispatched as well as another fire unit for manpower.
First responders immediately began CPR on the two children, and aircare was put on stand-by. Paramedics rushed the children to Firsthealth Moore Regional where both are still alive but in critical condition, according to Cameron. The driver, the children’s grandmother, is reportedly in stable condition. She is believed to have suffered a medical event that led to the accident.
Both northbound lanes of traffic were shut down on U.S. 15-501, and southbound traffic was reduced to one lane to allow first responders space to safely work. Law enforcement rerouted traffic around the scene of the accident.
The Honda suffered severe front-end damage from the impact. First responders worked to clear scattered debris from the roadway while Rockwell Towing arrived to remove the vehicle from the scene.
Responding to the scene were Southern Pines Fire and Rescue, Southern Pines Police Department, and Moore County EMS.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Abegail Murphy.
