Low-Flying Airplane Blamed For Car Crash

A motorist who crashed her car near the Johnston County Airport last week blames an airplane for causing the wreck.

Around 11:00am last Friday, Tabitha Faith Brinkley, 29, of Smithfield was traveling on Swift Creek Road near the airport.  Brinkley told the Highway Patrol a crop dusting plane was flying in an adjacent field flying upside down and making erratic maneuvers.

Brinkley told troopers she became distracted by the plane and ran off the roadway into a ditch.

Brinkley and two passengers in her 2014 Chevy escaped without injury. Damage to her car was estimated at $100.

Trooper N.A. Hocutt stated in the accident report he checked with the Johnston County Airport and they did not have any knowledge of a plane taking off or operating in the area at the time of the crash.

No charges were filed.