By Lance Martin

www.rrspin.com

GASTON – The driver of a tow truck was charged in a Saturday fatal wreck outside of Gaston.

Trooper Scott Richardson of the state Highway Patrol said Christopher Wayne Brookman, 27, of Virginia Beach, VA faces charges of driving left of center, reckless driving and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.

Brookman was pulling a car at the time of the wreck, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. on NC Highway 46 at the Gus Smith Road intersection, when he drifted across the center line and struck a Honda Accord head-on. The passenger in the Honda, Andrea Walker, 22, died. She and her fiancée, 25-year-old Travon Elam, who was driving the car, are from Virginia.

Drifting left of the center is the contributing factor and alcohol use is not suspected.

Richardson said there is no explanation why Brookman drifted over the center line. He was traveling approximately 45 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour at the time of the crash.

According to Gaston Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Porter Jr., a total of six patients were transported from the wreck scene by Northampton County EMS and Gaston EMS to Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids. An adult male and infant female were expected to be transported by ground units from Halifax Regional Medical Center to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.

Porter added that firefighters remained on the scene until 1:30 a.m. Sunday to keep the road closed while Highway Patrol officers could conduct its investigation into the cause of the crash.

(Lance Martin is Editor and Publisher of www.rrspin.com. Permission was granted to republish the story.)