James Harold Smith, 48, and his wife, Mary, 55, of 125 Birchwood Drive, were traveling south on Faith Road toward their home in their green GMC pickup truck. About 8:30 p.m., in the midst of a thunderstorm, a white Dodge dual-wheel truck traveling north toward Salisbury, crossed the center line into the path of the Smiths’ truck near Barringer Street.

The driver of the Dodge, 17-year-old Jeffrey Wayne Hager, of 2106 Old Concord Rd., was going about 10 miles over the speed limit and lost control when the truck hydroplaned on the slick pavement, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol report. The two trucks collided head-on, and the bigger truck crumpled the smaller, green pick-up.

Hager and his passenger, 14-year-old Dawn Vickers, of 330 Freedom Drive, both suffered minor injuries in the collision. Troopers estimate that Hager was traveling 55 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The accident occurred within 80 feet of Faith Road and Barringer Street, and witnesses say it was raining heavily.

“When I came up around the corner I saw the two trucks down in the ditch off to the left and it was pouring,” said a witness who wanted to remain anonymous. “I took one look at that smashed up little green truck, and I knew that nobody in it could have survived.”

Highway Patrol Sgt. Shadrock Small said that heavy rain and slick road conditions more than likely played a role in the accident.

The two vehicles landed more than 70 feet apart after the collision. Glass shards and fiberglass pieces were strewn across the road. Deep tire tracks were cut into the mud of the ditch and the front left tire of the Dodge was ripped off the axle and was in the street. Construction materials were thrown from the back of the Dodge, and a metal ladder was twisted beneath the carriage of the truck.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Department directed traffic around the site while Rowan County EMS assessed the situation. The Smiths died at the scene.

The Rowan County Rescue Squad, assisted by the South Salisbury Fire Department, had to cut part of the Smiths’ pickup truck to remove the bodies from the wreckage. Although Smith and his wife were wearing seat belts and their truck was equipped with air bags, the impact of the head-on collision killed them instantly, Small said.

Alcohol was not reported as a factor in the accident. The investigation is continuing.