Bonnie Wheatley Obituary, Raleigh NC, 79, woman killed in tractor-trailer crash on US 70 identified: A tragic accident occurred on Monday on U.S. Highway 70 in Johnston County, resulting in the death of one woman and injuries to six others. At 1:06 p.m., Wilson’s Mills Police Department officers were dispatched to the eastbound lanes of US 70 at Swift Creek Road after a tractor-trailer collided with three cars.
The driver of one of the cars, 79-year-old Bonnie Wheatley from Raleigh, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, who was in the passenger seat, survived the crash but sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The collision also injured six other people in the two additional cars involved, as well as the driver of the tractor-trailer. All injured individuals were taken to nearby hospitals for medical care. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported that the tractor-trailer, driven by 77-year-old Robert Wallace of Smithfield, failed to slow down for a lane closure, causing the crash. Wallace has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.
A harrowing photo from the scene showed firefighters extricating a car that was pinned between a guardrail and the trailer. All eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 were closed near Swift Creek Road in the Wilson’s Mills community until about 5:45 p.m. Sky 5 aerial footage at 3 p.m. depicted the extent of the crash, with all eastbound lanes blocked and a red car, which had been pushed against the guardrail, completely totaled. The tractor-trailer, which also collided with the guardrail, appeared to sustain less visible damage.