Rougemont woman dies in head-on crash

Special to The Herald-Sun | Julian Harrison Rescue personnel and law enforcement officers work the scene of a head-on collision on Guess Road Wednesday morning. A white Chevrolet Impala crossed the centerline on Guess near Milton Road in northern Durham County about 8.55 a.m. and struck another vehicle head-on. The Impala's driver died at the scene. The driver of the other car and two young children in the back seat were injured, and were transported to Duke University Hospital with injuries that were described as not life-threatening.

A Rougemont woman died Wednesday when the car she was driving crossed the centerline on Guess Road and crashed head-on into another car, the N.C. State Highway Patrol said.

Three others, including two 4-year-old cousins, were hurt.

Trooper Michael Mitchell of the patrol’s Durham office said the accident happened about 8:58 a.m. on Guess Road near Milton Road, in northern Durham, when a white Chevrolet Impala driven by Monica Day, 35, of Rougemont, crossed the centerline and headed north into oncoming traffic.

She collided with an orange Jeep Liberty driven by 27-year-old Audrey Sandifer of Bahama, Mitchell said. Two children – a boy and girl in child restraint seats – were in the back seat of Sandifer’s car. All three were transported to Duke University Hospital. Mitchell described their injuries as serious, but not life-threatening.

Day was pronounced dead at the scene. Mitchell said she was wearing a seatbelt.

Mitchell said it was unclear Wednesday why Day turned into oncoming traffic. He said it did not appear that alcohol or drugs were involved. The body was transported to the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill for tests.

The driver of a third car, 17-year-old Mason Erb, ran off the road and struck a sign while trying to avoid being hit. Mitchell said Erb was unhurt.

Erb’s car was damaged, and the other two were destroyed.