A head-on vehicle collision early Tuesday morning near Auctioneer Road took the life of a Clinton woman and injured another.
According to the N.C. Highway Patrol, Thelma Matute-Calix, 51, of 310 Devane St., was killed in the two-car collision after the vehicle she was driving, a 2012 Nissan, struck an oncoming truck.
The accident happened around 5:30 a.m., reports noted.
Matute-Calix was traveling north on N.C. 403 when her vehicle struck Alyssa Santos, 26, of 331 Precythe St., Faison, who was heading south in her 2018 Chevrolet pickup in the southbound lane, according to patrol reports from Sgt. Ashley Duff.
As the two vehicles collided, Duff’s report noted that Matute-Calix’s vehicle traveled off the road, struck a ditch, and overturned, ejecting her from the car. Santos’ vehicle came to rest in the northbound lane facing north.
Matute-Calix died while being transported to Wake Medical Center, while Santos was transported to Sampson Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the patrol sergeant noted.
The 51-year-old was not restrained by a seat belt, reports show. What caused the accident is still under investigation, Duff noted.
“What’s in that statement is all I’m going to release right now regarding impairment or anything like that,” he explained.
The victim’s family has been notified of the accident.
Tuesday’s collision marks the 14th fatality that has occurred on Sampson County roadways since the start of the year.