Three people taken to hospital after church van crash in Landis

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 14, 2013

LANDIS — Three people were taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon following a two-vehicle crash involving a 15-passenger van and a car in Landis.

The wreck happened just before 2 p.m. at the intersection of Old Beatty Ford Road and U.S. 29.

The van, from Highest Praise Family Worship Center, China Grove, was traveling on East Ryder Avenue preparing to cross the intersection at Old Beatty Ford Road when it was struck by a Suzuki Forenza that was traveling south on U.S. 29.

The driver of the car, Amanda Clements, 20, of China Grove and passenger Tabitha Hill were taken to Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast in Concord with non-life threatening injuries.

The weather was a contributing factor to the crash, said Landis Police Capt. Roger Hosey.

Clements said she tried to stop when she saw the van, but couldn’t stop in time, in part because the road was wet. It was raining around the time of the accident.

No charges will be filed.  The van was carrying 13 passengers, one of whom, Elizabeth Minehart, 40, of China Grove was taken to CMC NorthEast with non-serious injuries. Most of the other passengers in the van did not have serious injuries and did not need to be taken to the hospital, Hosey said.

The car landed partially in the roadway and partially in a ditch on the northbound side of U.S. 29 and the van spun around and came to rest facing the opposite direction of travel on the southbound side of U.S. 29. Traffic was detoured around the wreck, which blocked parts of the intersection more than an hour after the crash occurred. Firefighters were seen removing the seats from the van to get passenger out.

Responders initially called for all available ambulances and multiple units responded, including two from Cabarrus County. They later canceled some of those ambulances.

Landis Police investigated the crash.

Firefighters from Landis and China Grove fire departments responded along the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, which provided traffic control. Rowan County Emergency Management Services also responded to the scene.

Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.