Four Dead, Three Injured After Eden City Dump Truck Crashes Into Power Crew; Driver Charged
- BTW21
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
EDEN, N.C. — (BTW21) Tragedy struck in Rockingham County on Thursday afternoon when a City of Eden dump truck plowed through a group of utility workers, leaving four dead, three others injured, and a community in mourning.
The crash happened around 1:30 p.m. on April 24 at the intersection of Church Street, Carroll Street, and Park Road in Eden.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the driver of the city-owned dump truck, 66-year-old Michael Ray Vernon of Eden, ran a stop sign and struck six men who were performing powerline work for Carolina Power and Signalization.
Four of the workers were killed instantly. They have been identified as:
Douglas Garland Sides, 72, of Summerfield
Madison Carter, 42, of Sandy Ridge
William Evans, 35, of Randleman
Matthew Lockwood, 30, of Winston-Salem
Two other workers were airlifted from the scene. One remains in critical condition, while the other is said to be in stable condition.
In addition, a man who was inside a bucket truck was also injured and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
After hitting the pedestrians, Vernon’s truck continued on, colliding with the bucket truck and then running off the road into a ditch.
Vernon was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. He has since been charged with a stop sign violation and four counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Investigators confirmed that impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
A family member of one of the victims shared that the worker “was a lineman who loved the job. Everybody loved him — he was a great, great guy and brother.”
Another relative mentioned they believed a trash truck was involved, though that detail remains unconfirmed by officials.
Duke Energy, which had contracted the workers involved in the crash, issued a statement expressing condolences:
“We are saddened about the tragic event that happened today, and our hearts go out to the families and teammates of those involved. The safety of our employees, contractors and customers is the highest priority at Duke Energy. We are working closely with law enforcement officials.”
Eden Mayor Neville Hall addressed the community in a heartfelt video message Thursday evening:
“I come to you today with a heavy heart to tell you about an incident that occurred in Eden. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of this terrible incident, and I would like to thank the first responders for the job that they did.”
The City of Eden released a statement shortly after the crash occurred:
“At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, the City of Eden Police and Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Church Street, Carroll Street, and Park Road. Upon arrival, first responders discovered that a City of Eden motor vehicle was involved in an accident where fatalities occurred. The North Carolina State Patrol is investigating the accident. No further statements will be forthcoming at this time.”
Several roads in the area were closed for hours as emergency crews responded and investigators worked the scene.
No additional details have been released as the investigation continues.
Comments