NASH COUNTY, NC (WTVD) --
A tragic car accident has caused one local family to lose three generations.
Authorities said the crash happened Friday morning near Bailey on Highway 264.
The victims were identified as 42-year-old April Renee Felton, her 22-year-old daughter Brandi Rashaw, and Brandi's daughter 2-year-old Braylee Karsyn Rashaw.
Officials said the family was stopped in a left passing lane when a truck in the right-hand lane tried to pass a camper, not seeing the family.
The truck collided with the car from behind, killing all three women.
NC State Highway Patrol said the incident is under investigation.
At least 34,000 people die each and every year on the deadly U.S. roads. This is one of the highest death rates for a "developed" economy. Hundreds of thousands injured as well. Nobody is safe on the roads: drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, passengers, EMS personnel, troopers, road workers, and so on we are all at risk. So be extra careful. The other driver will not pay much attention to you because of the alcohol, drugs, texting, telephones, GPS, speeding, and so many other distractions.
Here is the info posted on the Facebook pages of Brandi Rashaw:
Intro
22 years old.
💜 Mommy to Braylee Karsyn 
😍Cashier at L & L Food Stores
Studies GED at Nash Community College
Single
From Nashville, North Carolina
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| Michael Woods |
3 killed in U.S. 264 rear-end crash
Posted Sunday, September 3, 2017 10:00 pm
By Corey Friedman
cfriedman@wilsontimes.com | 252-265-7813
BAILEY — State troopers say two women and a 2-year-old girl were killed when a pickup truck slammed into their stopped car on U.S. 264 Friday morning.
Authorities identified the victims as 42-year-old April Renee Felton, her 22-year-old daughter, Brandi Renee Rashaw, and Rashaw’s 2-year-old daughter, Braylee Karson Rashaw, all of Nashville.
Brandi Rashaw was driving a 2005 Nissan Sentra that was stopped in the left lane of U.S. 264 when it was struck by a 2006 Ford pickup driven by 47-year-old Michael Woods of Wake Forest, according to Trooper K.S. Howald of the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
Woods was driving behind a tractor-trailer and merging from the right lane to the left lane when he struck Rashaw’s stopped car.
“As soon as he got over, the car was there and there was no time to react or take evasive action,” Howald said. “It was a very unfortunate situation.”
Troopers are still investigating the fatal crash. Howald said it isn’t clear whether Rashaw’s car had broken down or run out of gas, whether there was a medical emergency or if there was another reason the vehicle stopped in the left lane.
“We might never know because everyone in the car is deceased,” Howald said. “For whatever reason, the car had stopped in the left-hand lane, and we just don’t know why.”
Woods has not been cited in the crash. Troopers estimate his speed at 65-70 mph, and the posted speed limit for that stretch of the highway is 70 mph. Howald said Woods was not impaired and no other contributing circumstances are known.
The wreck was reported at 10:40 a.m. Friday on U.S. 264 about two-tenths of a mile east of N.C. 581 and three-tenths of a mile outside the Bailey town limits.
First responders rushed Brandi Rashaw to WakeMed’s Raleigh campus, where she succumbed to her injuries. Felton and Braylee Rashaw were pronounced dead at the scene.
Howald and Trooper M.A. Cannon are investigating the crash. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Nash County EMS and Bailey Fire Department also responded.
Funeral arrangements for April Felton and Brandi and Braylee Rashaw are pending with Cornerstone Funeral Home of Nashville.
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UNITED STATES STILL HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ROAD ACCIDENT DEATH AND INJURY RATES IN THE WORLD: 34,000 DIE AND 2.5 MILLION INJURED EACH YEAR.
Despite the improvements in road safety, the United States has one of the highest death rates at about 1 person dead per 10,000 people. Unfortunately, only undeveloped countries have higher death rate.
Some states, such as Texas and West Virginia (sorry, WV, despite your tremendous progress in traffic safety, you are still at the top of the worst-death-rate list) have death rates of nearly 1.5 percent, i.e., fifty percent more people die compared to the national death rate.
Approximately 34,000 people are getting killed each year. In the 1950s and 1960s, about 55,000 people used to die on the roads – so, there has been improvement in the number of dead.
However, the number of injured is rising. Roughly 2.5 million are injured (yes, you read it correctly – 2.5 million injured) per year. That is, 1 percent (1%) of the population that is eligible to drive is injured every year.
It is worse than a war zone out there. So, please be safe and be on the lookout for weaving-through-the-traffic drivers, crazy drivers, reckless drivers, sick drivers, medical-condition drivers, sleepy drivers, negligent drivers, stupid drivers, careless drivers, drunk drivers, speeding drivers, drugged drivers, texting drivers, talking-on-the-phone drivers, looking-at-the-GPS drivers, hurry-hurry drivers, tailgating drivers, upset drivers, eating-while-driving drivers, putting-the-lipstick-on-while-driving drivers, elderly drivers, and so on.