Robert Leon Hester dies in fatal Orange County car crash
Robert Leon Hester dies in fatal Orange County car crash
Fatal Orange County car crash death of Robert Leon Hester – Obituary.
Authorities have confirmed the identity of a third victim in a deadly car accident in Orange County after initially naming the wrong individual. Robert Leon Hester, 65, from Cedar Grove, lost his life in the incident that occurred just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday on N.C. 86, north of Hillsborough, according to an update from the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
The van involved in the crash was driven by 57-year-old Francesina Alveta Whitted of Durham, who also died when her vehicle veered off the two-lane rural highway and collided with a tree. Another passenger, Tyesha Tyshell Edwards, 31, from Mebane, was also killed in the crash. Trooper Brian Martin from the Highway Patrol reported that while Whitted and Edwards were wearing seatbelts, Hester, who was seated in the back, was not.
The scene of the crash was described as “horrific,” leading to the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office using fingerprints to identify Hester. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of Whitted’s veering off the road, although they do not believe that speed or impairment were factors.
A small memorial featuring pink and yellow flowers, along with a heart-shaped balloon, was placed at the crash site on Wednesday. The only survivor of the accident, a 2-year-old girl, was taken to Duke University Hospital for observation and is reported to be in stable condition. According to officials, she is not related to the deceased adults.
Initially, the Highway Patrol had reported that a man named Anthony Bowman from Hillsborough had been killed in the crash. However, friends of Bowman stated that he had been dropped off at a gas station prior to the incident, and attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Robert Leon Hester dies in fatal Orange County car crash Fatal Orange County car crash death of Robert Leon Hester – Obituary. Authorities have confirmed the identity of a third victim in a deadly car accident in Orange County after initially naming the wrong individual. Robert Leon Hester, 65, from Cedar Grove, lost his life…
Robert Leon Hester dies in fatal Orange County car crash Fatal Orange County car crash death of Robert Leon Hester – Obituary. Authorities have confirmed the identity of a third victim in a deadly car accident in Orange County after initially naming the wrong individual. Robert Leon Hester, 65, from Cedar Grove, lost his life…