Two people were taken to the hospital following a car crashes into a Roanoke County home in a multi-vehicle wreck. It happened after a man driving a white pickup truck fell asleep while traveling north on Merriman Road Friday afternoon and veered across the center line. The truck sideswiped one vehicle and crashed head-on with a Honda Accord, according to a news release. The Accord struck a house along the road. 69-year-old Hemlata Patel and 79-year-old Thakorbhai Patel, both of Roanoke, were taken to the hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening. The truck driver Jerry Davis Junior was charged with failure to drive on the right side of the road.
From Roanoke County Police: At 3:56 Friday afternoon a white GMC pickup truck was traveling northbound on Merriman Road. The male driver fell asleep, crossed the center line and side-swiped a Chevy Trailblazer. The driver was uninjured.
The female driver of the Trailblazer was unharmed and not transported to the hospital. Her vehicle sustained minor damage.
The GMC then crossed the double line into the other lane and collided head-on with a Honda Accord. The Honda went off the road, backwards and struck a house in the 5800 block of Merriman Road. The Honda had a female driver and male passenger inside and both were transported to the hospital.
Residents of the home were inside but not affected. The vehicle struck the side of the house near the garage.
The crash is still under investigation at this time and we will provide additional information when it becomes available.
Suspect Vehicle:
2006 GMC Sierra
Driver – Jerry Davis, Jr, 32, of Rock Mount. He was not wearing a seat belt and had no injuries.
He’s charged with fail to drive on right side of road and no seatbelt.
1st Victim Vehicle:
2008 Chevy Trailblazer
Driver – Debra Brown, 57, of Boones Mill. She was wearing a seatbelt and had no injuries. There was minor damage to vehicle.
2nd Victim Vehicle:
2015 Honda Accord
Driver – Hemlata Patel, 69, of Roanoke. She was wearing a seatbelt. She was transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.
Passenger – Thakorbhai Patel, 79, of Roanoke. He was not wearing a seatbelt. He was transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash was Mr. Davis falling asleep and crossing the center line. Neither speed, drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
