Two people were killed and several others injured in a wrong-way collision on I-40 around 5 p.m. Monday near Valdese. According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, 60-year-old Jeffery Dean Wise of Valdese was traveling east in the westbound lanes when he collided head-on with a Chevrolet Tahoe, which then collided with a Ford F-250 that was also traveling west. Wise succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The driver of the Tahoe, 46-year-old Kimberly Noel Gentry of Newland was flown to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and was in critical condition Monday evening. The Tahoe’s front seat passenger, 49-year-old Christopher Lee Jordan of Newland, was flown to Mission Hospital and later succumbed to his injuries. Two juveniles in the Tahoe were transported to Valdese Hospital.
The driver of the F-250, 51-year-old Kenneth Darrell Mashburn of Union Mills, was transported to Grace Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During the on-scene investigation, I-40 was closed in both directions for approximately two hours.
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