A two vehicle accident during rush hour Tuesday afternoon closed Highway 301 (N. Brightleaf Boulevard) in Smithfield and also knocked down a utility pole cutting power to several homes and businesses in the area.
Smithfield Police said a red Ford F-150 pickup was traveling northbound on Highway 301 and collided at the intersection in front of Wal-Mart with a southbound white Nissan passenger car attempted to turn left into the parking lot of Chick-Fil-A.
After the impact, witnesses said it appears the driver of the pickup truck may have accelerated, knocking down a utility pole, driving across the landscaping at Chick-Fil-A and coming to rest in a deep ditch. One witness said it appears the driver of the truck, Ronnie Haywood Raiford of N. Sussex Drive, Smithfield may have been experiencing a medical issue. Raiford was taken by ambulance to Wake Medical Center in Raleigh for treatment.
The driver of the Nissan, Keonn Ahmad Peacock of Fire Department Road, Clayton, was checked out at the scene by paramedics but was not transported to the hospital.
The accident forced Smithfield Police and the NC DOT to briefly shut down both directions of Highway 301. The roadway was fully reopened Tuesday night after the power pole was replaced.
Police said they have interviewed Peacock about the accident but have not yet spoke to Raiford. As of Wednesday, no charges had been filed but the accident still remains under investigation. Photos by John Payne
