Road close as five dies after horrific five-vehicle collision in Emerald Isle

A 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman were killed, and another passenger was critically injured in a tragic rollover collision on Highway 78 on Friday, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The collision happened just after 3:30 p.m. on westbound Highway78, just west of Emerald Drive, CHP Officer Joel Arding said. Four others, including an 11-year-old boy, also suffered injuries, he said.

“This is the fourth fatal accident that our officers have handled in three days. We all believe that by doing our job that we’re going to save lives and it’s a difficult pill to swallow thatwe’re helpless to have not saved these people,” said Arding.

The crash, which closed the westbound lanes of Highway 78temporarily and backed traffic up for miles, occurred after aPlymouth Neon apparently sideswiped a gold Lexus sport utility vehicle, causing it to go out of control and roll multiple times Arding said. The flipping vehicle ejected the passenger onto the freeway lanes, where he suffered fatal head injuries, Ardingsaid.

A front-seat passenger in the SUV also suffered fatal head trauma and died as firefighters tried to get her out of thew reckage, Arding said.

None of the deceased was identified, pending notification ofnext of kin.

The four occupants in the BMW and the Honda driver — also that car’s lone occupant — died at the scene, Beaufort County Coroner David Ott said.

The coroner identified the dead motorists as Raymone Dagin, 26, and Mary Seabrook, 46, both of Beaufort; and St. Helena Island residents Henry Watson, 31; Tiera Seabrook, 31; and Jaycean Perry, 4. The Toyota’s driver was not injured.

The patrol said the accident remains under investigation.

St. Helena Island is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Beaufort.