Head-on crash on I-40 in Sampson County kills 3, including 14-year-old girl
A Saturday morning crash on Interstate 40 in Sampson County left three people dead, including a 14-year-old girl, according to the State Highway Patrol. One person was hospitalized with serious injuries.
State Highway Patrol troopers responded to the crash at 2:41 a.m. on I-40 East near mile marker 344, State Highway Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Marcus Bethea wrote in a Saturday statement.
A red Chevrolet Camaro was traveling the wrong way — westbound in the eastbound lanes — when it collided head-on with a black Honda Accord traveling east, Bethea wrote.
The two men in the Camaro died at the scene, Bethea wrote. They were identified Saturday afternoon as Jonathan Toxtle Zacarias, 21, and Gabriel Toxtle Zacarias, 20. Both men were from Fayetteville.
The front passenger in the Accord, a 14-year-old girl, also died at the scene, while the driver of the Accord was airlifted to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
The investigation is ongoing, Bethea wrote.
This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Head-on crash on I-40 in Sampson County kills 3, including 14-year-old girl."
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