Two children and two adults were taken to the hospital Monday following a head-on collision involving two vehicles traveling on Woodleaf Road, not far from Goodman Park Road. The N.C. Highway Patrol investigated the wreck, which occurred just seconds after and a few yards from a single-vehicle crash on the same road. That vehicle overturned near Goodman Trailer Park. The occupant of that vehicle was checked at the scene. A trooper said the vehicles hit an icy patch in the road, causing the cars to slide.
Trooper W.P. Efird said around 11:45 a.m. Jonathan Christian Clifton, 22, of Woodleaf was traveling on Woodleaf Road when he hit an icy patch in the road. His Honda ran off the road, struck a ditch and overturned. He was wearing his seatbelt, was removed from the vehicle and did not receive serious injuries, Efird said.
The Highway Patrol did not provide names of the others involved in the crash. The trooper said just a few seconds later, a Mercedes Benz driven by a 24-year-old Woodleaf man was traveling south on Woodleaf Road when he hit the same icy patch. He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast with serious injuries. The Mercedes collided head-on into the path of a Toyota Camry that was traveling north on Woodleaf Road. The driver, a Woodleaf woman, received serious injuries. She had two small boys in her car the trooper said. The children received minor injuries. All were taken to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center. The woman and the children were all wearing seat belts.
Charges are pending in the two-vehicle accident, Efird said.
The front of both vehicles were heavily damaged and both drivers were temporarily trapped inside their vehicles.
A Post reporter could hear a child crying as he was being loaded onto an ambulance. A woman could be heard wailing as emergency responders worked to free her from her car.
The crash occurred at a time when Woodleaf Road had a few icy patches and the temperature hovered around 32 degrees. Efird said the road in that area was very slick.
In addition to the N.C. Highway Patrol, personnel from Franklin and Woodleaf fire departments also responded as did the Rowan County Rescue Squad, Rowan EMS and Rowan Emergency Services.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.