A Lumberton teen became the county’s twelfth highway fatality Monday, and a dump truck driver has been charged in his death.
Matthew Sessoms, 18, died when his Toyota Scion was struck by a Department of Transportation dump truck driven by J.C. Soles of Whiteville. Soles did not see the Toyota as he crossed Rough and Ready Road at Cherry Grove around 11:30 a.m., according to Trooper C. Godwin of the Highway Patrol.
The Scion collided with the front of the dump truck as Soles pulled out from Cherry Grove. The car caught fire as a result of the crash.
The Highway Patrol, Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, Cerro Gordo Fire and Rescue, and AirLink responded.
The last fatality in Columbus occurred June 30, when a Bolton woman died from injuries sustained in a crash near Byrdville.
