A tragic accident has claimed the life of a young woman and her unborn child. The Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of a single vehicle accident early Sunday on Highway 210 about 4 miles west of Smithfield.
Troopers said speed was an apparent factor but alcohol was not involved.
Around 2:39 AM, the Highway Patrol said 27 year-old Norma Rodriquez Zarate of Ennis Road, Angier was operating a 2004 Ford SUV when it ran off the roadway and overturned, ejecting her from the vehicle. Zarate, who was approximately 5 months pregnant, was rushed to the hospital but efforts to save her life and the life of her unborn child were not successful.
A passenger in the vehicle, Juan Carlos Chavez Cano, 37, also from Ennis Road, Angier received non-life threatening injuries and was treated and released.
The Highway Patrol estimated Zarate was traveling 70mph in a 55mph zone when she ran off the roadway.
