WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Four people were seriously injured when a car driving north in the southbound lanes of U.S. 52 slammed head-on into another car Thursday night in Winston-Salem, police said.
Police received reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on the highway, near Smith Reynolds Airport and Akron Drive around 10:40 p.m.
Roberto Jose Martinez Lemus, 28, of Stagecoach Road in Winston-Salem was driving a Nissan when he hit a Toyota that was carrying two passengers.
The driver of the Toyota, David Leonard Stafford, and one passenger, Jean Lawrence High, sustained life-threatening injuries, police said. A second passenger, Jeri High Stafford, was also seriously injured.
They were taken to unnamed local hospitals for treatment.
In addition, Martinez Lemus was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with serious injuries, according to police. Investigators say he was driving while impaired.
Martinez Lemus has been charged with three counts of serious injury by vehicle, one count of driving while impaired, one count of serious injury by vehicle, one count of driving without a license, one count of careless and reckless driving and one count of traveling the wrong way on a highway.
The highway was closed for approximately six hours but opened before 5 a.m. Friday.
Anyone with information about the wreck is asked to contact the Winston-Salem Police Department at (336) 773-7832.
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Four people were seriously injured in a head-on collision on Highway 52 in Winston-Salem late Thursday night, according to a press release.
At about 10:40 p.m., Winston-Salem police received reports of a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 52.
The vehicle, driven by 28-year-old Roberto Jose Martinez Lemus, then hit a Toyota carrying two passengers head-on.
The driver of the Toyota, David Leonard Stafford, and two passengers, Jeri High Stafford and Jean Lawrence High, all sustained life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
In addition, Martinez Lemus was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with serious injuries, the release states. Police say he was driving drunk when the crash happened.
Martinez Lemus has been charged with three counts of serious injury by vehicle, one count of driving while impaired, one count of serious injury by vehicle, one count of no operator’s license, one count of careless and reckless driving and one count of traveling the wrong way on a highway.
Anyone with information about the wreck is asked to contact the Winston-Salem Police Department at (336) 773-7832.