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Jace Cole Falls Victim of Tragic Wreck in Winter Weather

On Behalf of | Dec 28, 2010 | Fatal Accidents |

On Sunday, December 26, 2010 the NC Highway Patrol released a statewide weather advisory to caution and alert drivers about the treacherous conditions—including black ice—on North Carolina’s roads. Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Gordon said, “During the day the roads are clear, but at night any water on the roads froze,” in an article on digtriad.com.

Jace Cole, 6, of Greenville, died in a single-vehicle accident when the 2000 Toyota pickup truck he was riding in wrecked on US Bypass 70 in Johnston County right outside of Clayton on December 26, 2010.

Though Jace was wearing a seat belt and seated in the right rear of the pickup, the vehicle flipped several times.

Investigating officials suspect that the truck ran over a patch of ice on an overpass near Raynor Road. The driver lost control and the truck ran off the left side of the road, the hit a cable barrier in the median, causing it to overturn.

Officials determined that the driver was travelling at a speed unsafe for the road’s hazardous conditions, which had turned icy by 9:00 p.m. when the fatal crash occurred.