Man killed in U.S. 421 collision; truck ran into path of semi

A wreck Saturday night in southern Sampson County claimed the life of a motorist, whose truck ran into the path of a semi, the collision killing him instantly, according to N.C. Highway Patrol authorities.

N.C. Highway Patrol authorities responded at 8:17 p.m. Saturday to the deadly wreck, which happened on U.S. 421 at the intersection with Mount Gilead Church Road, approximately 7 miles south of Clinton.

According to reports from Trooper W.A. Davis, a 2024 Freightliner semi-truck, loaded with pellets, was traveling south on U.S. 421 when a 2007 Toyota Tacoma truck, traveling east on Mount Gilead Church Road, reportedly failed to yield to the semi and traveled into the tractor trailer’s path, where the two vehicles collided. Highway Patrol First Sgt. D.K. Pearson relayed details on the investigation.

After impact, the semi forced the Toyota pickup off the left side of the roadway, about 200 feet from the initial point of impact. The truck came to rest in a ditch on its right side and the tractor-trailer ran off the right side of the road and came to rest partially in the ditch.

The driver of the Toyota Tacoma was killed on impact. The driver, whose identity was not able to be verified initially, was ultimately identified as Bivino Velasquez Morales, 41, of Atley Lane, Cary.

The driver of the semi-truck, identified as William James Brinson Jr., 60, of Kenansville, was not injured. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the wreck, the first sergeant said

The deadly wreck blocked the roadway for hours as the wreckage was cleaned up and traffic rerouted.

Saturday’s deadly wreck was the ninth fatal collision of 2024 in Sampson County and the first in nearly two months on county roadways. There were 28 deaths on Sampson County roads in all of 2023.