Ronda – On Sunday, October 6, at approximately 3:25 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Wilkes County on Hoots Road at Austin Little Mountain Road. A 2007 Ford Fusion traveling northwest on Hoots Road, failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign and was struck by a 1996 Ford F-250 traveling southwest on Austin Little Mountain Road.
The driver of the Fusion, Clara Roberts Adams, 84, of State Road, was transported by EMS to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Her sister, Edith Roberts Luffman, 91, of Ronda, who was a passenger was transported by EMS to an area hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The driver of the F-250, John Merritt Wilkerson, 18, of Lowgap, was not injured.
The initial investigation does not indicate impairment or speed as contributing factors to the collision. During the on-scene investigation, the roadway was partially closed in the area for approximately two hours. Possible charges are pending upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Wilkes County District Attorney’s Office.