A 20-year-old Harrells resident lost her life Sunday morning following a fiery head-on collision involving a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer hauling methane gas on U.S. 421 near River Road, prompting emergency evacuations and a lengthy roadway closure.
According to the N.C. State Highway Patrol, the collision occurred around 7:37 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when a 1999 Toyota pickup operated by Breezy A. Hernandez, 20, of Harrells, was traveling north on U.S. 421.Authorities reported that Hernandez’s pickup crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2019 Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by Lawa A. Dowdell, 30, of Leland.
Following the collision, both vehicles caught fire and burned just off the roadway. The tractor-trailer was hauling methane gas, but officials confirmed that the cargo remained contained and did not ignite…