A Kill Devil Hills woman suffered critical injuries in a three-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on U.S. 158 near East Chowan Street.
Brittany Cox, 32, was driving a blue 2005 Mazda west on East Chowan Street in Kill Devil Hills about 4 p.m., stopped at the intersection and attempted to try to cross the highway before it was safe to do so, town police said in a news release.
As she attempted to cross the highway, her Mazda was struck on the driver’s side by a 2004 GMC Yukon in a “T-bone” collision. The Yukon was traveling at approximately 50 mph at the time of impact.
The vehicles locked together and the impact caused both to veer from the northbound lanes of U.S. 158 and cross over into the southbound lanes of U.S. 158. A 2002 Toyota pickup truck travelling southbound then struck the Mazda on the passenger side.
Cox was trapped due to the damage to her vehicle and had to be extricated by the Fire Department using the Jaws of Life, Kill Devil Hills police said. She suffered critical injuries and was eventually transported to Norfolk Sentara Hospital.
The driver of the Yukon, a 70-year-old Grandy man, was taken to Outer Banks Hospital for treatment of his injuries. The driver of the Toyota, a 67-year-old Kitty Hawk resident, was evaluated at the scene.
The Mazda had side airbag deployments, the Yukon had front airbag deployment. The drivers of the Yukon and Toyota were wearing their seat belts; Cox was not wearing a seat belt, police said.
The crash closed all lanes of U.S. 158 for about an hour as life-saving measures and the investigation were conducted. Charges are pending for Cox for careless and reckless operation of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance, price said. The lead investigator for the incident is Sgt. Rodney Rawls.
The Kill Devil Hills Police Department would like to thank the Highway Patrol, the Kitty Hawk Police Department, Dare County Sheriff’s Office, Dare County EMS and Fire Department for assisting at the scene. The Department would also like to thank the Dare County telecommunicators who helped coordinate the response and rescue efforts.
