Five hurt in fiery crash at Clarendon Church
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
An auto crash involving two pick-up trucks, one that caught fire after hitting a church sign, sent five people to area hospitals Friday afternoon, two by helicopter.
It appeared that no one suffered burn injuries, those in the pick-up that caught fire able to escape in time. The burned truck appeared to be a total loss, the sign was consumed by the fire.
A firefighter adds some additional water after this truck and sign burn at Clarendon Baptist Church. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
Both a full-size pick-up truck with a trailer that overturned came to rest on the front lawn of Clarendon Baptist Church on NC 410 at Sidney Cherry Grove Road. Ambulances from Tabor City Emergency Services, Fair Bluff Fire/Rescue and Cerro Gordo Fire/Rescue responded with trucks and manpower from the Roseland and Tabor City fire departments.
There was a heavy law enforcement presence, most from the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, as traffic was diverted from the crash scene for about two hours.
Roseland Fire Chief Len Fipps said that some of the injuries appeared severe but apparently not life threatening.
Paramedic Malik Washington walks away from a Tabor City Emergency Services ambulance an AirLink helicopter lands behind Clarendon Baptist Church Friday afternoon. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
Two AirLink helicopters from Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center set down at separate times on a helipad set up behind the church. Both patients were taken to the Wilmington hospital, family members said.
Look for more on this story in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune, in print and online.
