A three-vehicle wreck in northern Sampson County claimed the life of a Godwin-area woman, whose vehicle reportedly crossed the centerline, clipping one vehicle before it was struck head-on by a dump truck, according to reports from N.C. Highway Patrol officials in Sampson County. With still a month to go in 2021, it has been the deadliest year on county roadways in years.

On Friday, at 10:16 a.m., Trooper C.C. Hall responded to a three-vehicle, single-fatality collision on U.S. 13, approximately 16.2 miles southwest of Dunn and two-tenths of a mile east of Baptist Chapel Road.

Hall’s investigation revealed that a 2021 Kenworth dump truck, operated by Alton Cole Baxley of Newton Grove Highway, Dunn, and a 2014 Ram pickup truck, operated by George Marvin Cotton Jr., of Whiteoak Bridge Road, Calypso, were both traveling west on U.S. 13, with the dump truck traveling behind the Ram pickup.

A third vehicle, a 2015 Toyota pickup truck, operated by Linda Edmisten Scowden, 70, of Fayetteville Highway, Godwin, was traveling the opposite direction, east on U.S. 13, when it crossed the centerline and sideswiped the Ram pickup, according to Hall’s investigation, the details of which were relayed by Highway Patrol Sgt. D. Kevin Pearson.

After impact, the Ram pickup came to an uncontrolled rest in the middle of U.S. 13, facing east. After reportedly sideswiping the Ram truck, the Toyota pickup traveled into the westbound lane of U.S. 13 and was struck head-on by the dump truck.

Following the collision, the dump truck ran off of the right side of the road and struck a ditch, where it came to rest. After second impact, the Toyota pickup came to rest in the westbound lane of U.S. 13, facing east.

Scowden was restrained, but was killed upon impact with the dump truck, reports state.

Friday’s fatality was the 18th on Sampson County roadways this year, according to Pearson. That figure is more than each of the past three years. There were 13 fatal wrecks investigated by the Highway Patrol in Sampson in 2020, and 17 apiece in 2018 and 2019.