The woman killed Thursday in a crash on Mooresville Road was 24-year-old Shantell Renee Pearson of Charlotte, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Pearson was the passenger in a Dodge Avenger driven by Dashon Samir McDaniel, 21, of Salisbury. He’s been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving without an operator’s license.
Officials said McDaniel was traveling east on Mooresville Road when he tried to pass a tractor trailer in a passing zone. Apparently unable to get back into his lane in time to avoid a crash, he collided head-on with a Duke Energy truck going west.
McDaniel’s car came to rest in the middle of the roadway. The Duke Energy truck ran off the road to the left. The crash occurred at 2:21 p.m. about 200 feet from Bradshaw Road, near Mount Ulla.
The driver of the pickup was Tien Tran, 56, of Concord. Both Tran and McDaniel sustained injuries and were taken to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center. McDaniel was later transferred to Carolinas Medical Center Northeast; hospital officials say today they do not have him listed as a patient.
Troopers continue to investigate and preliminary reports have not indicated if McDaniel was impaired or if speed contributed to the crash.