ONSLOW COUNTY (WWAY) -- Two people are dead after a crash in Onslow County early Sunday morning.

It happened around 3 a.m. Sunday on US 17, just north of Holly Ridge.

State Troopers say Juan Torres, 29, of Wilmington crossed over the median and smashed into another vehicle head-on.

Both Torres and the female passenger in the vehicle he hit died. The passenger is identified as Rossio Jordan, 21, of Jacksonville.

According to WCTI, the two other passengers were transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Troopers are investigating to determine whether alcohol or speed were factors in the crash.

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) -- A dinner party turned deadly on the water in Southport.

According to the Wildlife Commission, Barbara Pierce, 57, was killed when a boat piloted by her husband, Edward, struck a concrete pillar on the old quarantine dock near Battery Island.

The two were traveling with friends, Michelle Boley and Taylor Gill, and were returning from dinner when their boat crashed.

All four were taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where Barbara Pierce died from injuries sustained in the accident.

The Wildlife Commission says alcohol was found in the vessel but did not appear to be a factor in the crash.

None of the passengers were wearing a life vest.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Friends say he loved motorcycles, being outdoors and traveling. And that's how he died. Long-time Wilmington optometrist Dr. George Martin was killed in a crash yesterday in Missouri, leaving a community in mourning.

"There will never be another person like Dr. Martin. It's just truly a loss for everyone," said Dr. Scott Sikes, a former coworker of Dr. Martin.

"Larger than life" is how friends describe the Vietnam veteran.

"He served his country and served his community well. Loved outdoor things, loved traveling, loved his motorcycle. He was an avid shooter, he was part of a gun club and a motorcycle club here," Dr. Bonnie Fanelli said. "He just loved getting outside. Kind of a man's man, you know?"

Sikes and Fanelli worked with Dr. Martin at the Eye Care Center on Oleander drive. In 2009, Dr. Martin left the practice for health reasons and to enjoy retirement. To this day, his former patients would still ask how he was doing.

"I think it's a testament to him as a person, to his character," Sikes said. "Just the fact he was so likable and liked by everyone."

Tuesday, Dr. Martin was killed, and his wife Joanie was injured when his motorhome rear-ended a semi trailer in Missouri. Used to seeing him stop by on occasion, coworkers will now have to deal with this permanent loss.

"I feel like the community lost a great doctor and a profession as well," Fanelli said.

At last check, Joanie Martin was still in the hospital, but will soon return to Wilmington to make funeral arrangements.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- It was a tragic turn of events for a newlywed couple from Brunswick County. Three days after their marriage, a husband is left without his bride.

Jessica and Michael Barfoot had their whole future ahead of them, but Tuesday Jessica died in a car crash.

On the day they were married, Michael Barfoot stood by patiently waiting for his bride.

“She was actually an hour and a half late,” he says. “Oh it was worth it. She was beautiful. Still is in my eyes.”

Michael and Jessica Barfoot were wed Saturday on the beach surrounded by family and close friends.

“All she could talk about was our future plans you know paying the house off and taking vacations,” Barfoot says. “All these things that she wanted to do.”

But their happiness and future dreams were cut short Tuesday when Jessica fell asleep at the wheel. The SUV she was driving crashed into a box truck on NC 133 south of Leland.

Jessica had already worked eight hours in her first job as a certified nursing assistant and was working her second shift, transporting an assisted living patient home when she died.

Michael says the two jobs had become too much for Jessica.

“She was talking about it last night and talked more about quitting the job because she was just too tired to keep on going,” Barfoot says.

For now, Michael lives with the memories of his beautiful wife on their wedding day, a new chapter that ended before it even began.

“I got home about 3:30 and I kept watching the driveway, just knew she was going to pull in at any time because it was about the time she got home,” Barfoot says. “And just nobody. Just nothing.”

Highway Patrol says the passenger in the SUV Jessica was driving was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the truck was shaken up, but not injured.

RODANTHE, NC (AP) -- The state Highway Patrol says a Transportation Department employee died on NC 12 when his dump truck rear-ended one that had broken down on the highway.

Trooper William Harrison says a dump truck driven by 36-year-old Michael Brad Stevenson hit one sitting in the road that was driven by 45-year-old Ronnie Allen Anderson. Stevenson's truck caught fire, and he was killed.

Anderson was injured and taken to a hospital in Norfolk, Va.

The men were removing sand from the highway, which was damaged by Hurricane Sandy last month and a more recent nor'easter.

The highway had just reopened Saturday to 4-wheel-drive vehicles. It was closed for several hours Sunday before DOT reopened it but now only during daylight hours and still limited to those vehicles.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- The lives of two Columbus County families drastically changed Saturday night, but what could have been done differently to prevent the death of two children?

In the aftermath of Saturday's horrible accident, investigators are left wondering if things would have been different if seat belts had been used.

Around 6:30 p.m. Saturday investigators say a SUV driven by Jesus Mondragon, 34, ran a stop sign at the intersection of NC 131 and Silver Spoon Road hitting the vehicle of 20-year-old Hannah Worley. Neither worley nor any of Mondragon's four passengers were wearing a seat belt.

"Speed was not a factor. The vehicle didn't stop, ran the stop sign at approximately 55 miles per hour and collided with the other vehicle that had the right of way on 131," Highway Patrol Sgt. John M. Lewis said. "Out of the wreck there were two unrestrained children in the back of the vehicle that ran the stop sign, and they were ejected and died as the result of the collision."

The two children killed were 11-year-old Samantha Mondragon and 2-year-old Ashley Mondragon. Investigators say their were lives were cut short by a series of bad decisions that highlight the importance of wearing a seat belt.

"Any time we have serious injuries or fatalities it's very unfortunate, but to involve children is an absolute tragedy," Sgt. Lewis said. "It's the parent's responsibility or their guardian or that person operating the vehicle to make sure that everyone is restrained. For children to be as innocent as they are, most just don't know better. If they don't practice it themselves, then these are the outcomes."

Outcomes that affect all involved for the rest of their lives.

"It's tough," Sgt. Lewis said. "I know it's tough on the families and all involved, but it's also tough on our troopers. We see more than our share of tragedy, and it goes full circle the impact of these collisions."

The investigation into the accident continues. Jesus Mondragon has not been charged for his role in the accident.

CASTLE HAYNE, NC (WWAY) -- An overnight crash in Castle Hayne Wednesday left one person dead and residents out of power.

New Hanover County dispatch says the accident happened just before midnight near the intersection of Castle Hayne and Oakley Roads.

According to the report, the driver hit a pole, knocking down power lines and power services for some people in that area.

Highway Patrol, New Hanover County Sheriff's deputies, firefighters, and EMS crews responded to the scene.

Progress Energy crews also responded to the accident, closing Oakley Road around 2 am to fix the damaged pole and restore power. The road is now open.

Dispatch says no outages have been reported at this time. By 7 am, the Progress Energy website does not show any outages in the area.

The driver's identity has not been released. Stay with WWAY for updates as the story develops.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- An accident late Monday night on Highway 74 claimed the life of 38-year-old Mark Mooring of Wilmington. Mooring was riding a moped that collided with a semi.

Moped dealer Michael Gary said, “He came out of there and lost it, may have had a flat tire or something and it put him over there, I don't think he intentionally ran across that traffic.”

The Highway Patrol believes Mooring, who was not licensed, merged into the left lane and into the right rear section of a semi-trailer. Typical moped accidents do not involve the bikes hitting other vehicles.

New legislation aimed at registering the small motor bikes and their riders is moving forward in Raleigh. Local dealers like the idea but don't think it will prevent accidents.

Larry O’Donnell, who owns a scooter shop said, “I don't think it's really going to affect the safety, it's up to the operator of the scooter to be aware of his surroundings and know his vehicle. Most of the time it's human error."

O’Donnell does think the new legislation will help reduce theft. He says, “They’re really easy to steal, you just pick one up, go throw it in the truck if you want, most of the time they are never recovered.”

Mopeds and scooters are big sellers right now because of high gas prices but, it's rider beware, there are hazards and you cannot operate one while drinking.

The Highway Patrol believes the driver of the semi may be unaware that he was in a collision. If you have any information about this accident contact the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

COLUMBUS COUNTY & BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A crash involving an 18-wheeler at the Columbus and Bladen County line left one person dead after two trucks caught fire.

It happened around 4:15 a.m. at 7500 block of Old Stage Highway, where one lane remains closed as crews work to clear the scene.

According to dispatch, both an 18-wheeler and pick-up truck involved in the crash caught fire as a result of the crash.

Trooper C.B. Capps, Sr. says Edgar Smith was driving the 18-wheeler along Old Stage Highway when Lee Andrews pulled out in front of him coming from Andrews Drive.

Andrews was ejected from his truck, and died on impact.

Trooper Capps, Sr. says Smith, the driver of the 18-wheeler was transported to Whiteville Hospital, where he is being treated for high blood pressure.

The tractor trailer was carrying bales of synthetic fiber, but troopers say there is no hazardous or environmental risks as a result of the fires.

Crews have opened one lane of traffic on Old Stage Highway as they continue to clear scene.

Investigators say alcohol and drugs were not a factor.

Several units responded to the scene, including fire crews, EMS, and state troopers.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- The vehicle believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run that killed a bicyclist last night has been located and brought in as evidence, according to New Hanover County Dispatch. Police say the car was abandoned near the corner of Marsh Hawk Court and Duck Hawk Court in Wilmington.

"Looking at the car, damage on the car, and the parts of it that are missing, it is very consistent with the vehicle that we were looking for last night that hit the bicyclist," said Wilmington Police Department's Sgt. Mike Donelson.

Neighbors noticed the vehicle matched the description of the white Toyotta Corolla police say hit and killed Tyler while he was riding his bike on Wrightsville Avenue near Lumina Station Thursday night.

When I spoke with Tyler's mother earlier today, she was still in shock.

"I think I am still numb," said Beverly Tyler.

Beverly Tyler lost her husband to a similar accident on the road when he was driving a motorcycle years ago. She says at this point, she can't help but remember all the funny moments.

"The other ones when they were born screamed," said Beverly. "And he just sort of came out and looked at us. My husband and my mother were in the room. He was like a grown-up in a little, tiny baby body sort of like, what do you want?"

Donelson says the next step will be finding out who the vehicle is registered to and contacting that person.

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Police say around 10 p.m. Thursday a white 2011 to 2013 Toyota Corolla hit and killed Zachary Paul Tyler, 27, while he was riding his bike on Wrightsville Ave. near Lumina Station.

Today a memorial stands in his honor.

"I wanted people to see where this actually happened," said Mary Klinge, who started the memorial. "If we can get the word out, they still haven't found the person who actually hit him and the car is supposedly damaged. I wanted to get this started so when everyone drives by they can take a look and think."

Klinge lives a block from the crash scene. She says she sees folks biking all the time and wants drivers to slow down.

"Wrightsville Beach is full of nothing but people on bicycles," she said. "As we stand here, somebody is going to go by on a bicycle. Just slow down, everybody seems to be in a rush."

Police are still searching for the person who killed Tyler.

Tyler's mother, who was not ready to talk on camera Friday afternoon, left a comment on WWAY's Facebook page earlier in the day.

"This was my son," Beverly Tyler wrote. "Please whomever was driving the car come forward. We are a forgiving family and you need your family also."

But the Tylers are not Zachary's only family.

He worked at King Neptune restaurant in Wrightsville Beach for more than a year. Manager Earl McPherson, who also did not want to talk on camera, says Tyler was like family to everyone at the restaurant and rode his bike to work every day.

Anyone with any information about the car involved in the crash or the driver should call the Wilmington Police Department at (910) 343-3600. Information also may be submitted anonymously through Text-A-Tip. Enter Tip708 and the information, and send to 274637 (CRIMES).

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Police are investigating a crash between a motorcycle and tractor trailer that left one person dead in downtown Wilmington Sunday night.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. at Front and Marstellar Streets.

Police say the motorcycle driver, John Calderone, was pronounced dead at the scene, after he collided with an 18-wheeler driven by South Carolina Man, Larry Paige.

Dispatchers say the crash shut down the road where train tracks crossed, but it was back open to traffic before 6 a.m.

No word on if charges will be filed. The investigation is ongoing.

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- Alcohol may have been a factor in a head-on crash in Pender County Sunday that killed two drivers and one child, and left another with serious injuries.

Troopers say it happened on Highway 11 near Tate Road in Willard around 7 p.m.

They say 26-year-old Willard woman, Jessica Lynn Carr, was speeding in a mustang when she crossed the center line, hitting another car head on.

37-year-old Willard woman, Tammy Rae Giddens, was driving the car that was hit, with her two children in the back seat.

Troopers say Carr, Giddens, and Giddens' 6-year-old daughter, Lucy, all died in the crash, and her 3-year-old son suffered serious injuries.

They say both children were in car seats at the time of the crash.

Trooper Wilson says the young boy was transported to Chapel Hill to be treated for his injuries.

He says investigators are waiting on alcohol tests to come back.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A Wilmington woman is dead after she lost control going around a curve early Wednesday.

Troopers say it happened around 12:30 a.m. on Masonboro Loop Road, near Trails End Road.

They say 49-year-old Sandra Byrd was not wearing a seat-belt when it happened, and was the only person involved in the crash that happened just outside the Wilmington city limits.

Byrd was coming out of a curve when she ran off the road and lost control, causing her small SUV to overturn in the middle of the roadway.

Police, Deputies, Fire and EMS crews all responded to the scene, but they do not believe speeding to have been a factor.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- A former Camp Lejeune Marine has been sentenced to four years in prison for a drunken-driving crash that killed his sister and her boyfriend in Maine.

23-year-old Travis Lawler was on leave from Camp Lejeune in June 2012 when the car he was driving went off the road in Belgrade and struck a tree.

20-year-old Kristin Lawler of Oakland died at the scene, and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Jackson Bolduc of Belgrade, died the next day.

The Kennebec Journal reports that Lawler wore his full Marine dress uniform to his sentencing Monday, even though he was discharged months ago, telling the judge it was all he has in his life.

He sobbed as he apologized and pleaded guilty to manslaughter, drunken driving and violating bail conditions.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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