Statesville – On Thursday, October 16, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Iredell County on I-77 South near mile marker 49. A 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling south in the right lane on I-77, failed to adequately reduce speed, and collided with a 2012 GMC Denali SUV that was stopped in the right lane due to traffic. Following the initial collision, both vehicles became engulfed in flames.
The driver of the GMC, Daniel Lawrence Heisig, 40, of Charlotte, was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The passenger, Kimberly Taylor Cox, 60, of York, South Carolina, was critically injured and transported to Atrium Wake-Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where she succumbed to her injuries. Three dogs in the vehicle also succumbed to their injuries.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Aniello Marro Chavarria, 56, of Statesville, was not injured.
The initial investigation does not indicate impairment to be a contributing factor. Upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Iredell County District Attorney’s office, charges are pending. During the on-scene investigation, I-77 was closed in the area for approximately 4 hours