Truck driver faces manslaughter charges after 5 killed in I-95 crash, North Carolina officials say

KENLY, N.C. (AP) — A truck driver is facing manslaughter charges after five people died in a crash that shut down northbound Interstate 95 in North Carolina for nine hours Wednesday, according to the state Highway Patrol.

The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. in Wilson County in an area where a lane was closed for maintenance, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a news release. A Freightliner tractor-trailer hauling orange juice failed to reduce speed as traffic slowed and hit a Chevy Tahoe, a Toyota RAV-4 and two other tractor-trailers, then caught fire, officials said.

Five people in the two SUVs died, the highway patrol said. They were identified as William and Elizabeth Tucker of Hephzibah, Georgia; Edward and Martha Davis of Greenville, North Carolina; and Linda Whitehurst of Robersonville, North Carolina.

The drivers of the three tractor-trailers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. After the Freightliner driver was released, he was arrested and charged with five counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, the highway patrol said. His bond was set at $25,000.

The preliminary investigation indicates that speed was a factor in the crash, but alcohol or drug impairment was not suspected, the highway patrol said.